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THE 


HISTORY  OF  BOSCAWEN 


AND 


AVEBSTER, 

FROM    1733    TO    1878 

COMPILED    BY 

CHARLES  CARLETON  COFFIN. 

WITH   iMAP  AND   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


^^ 


CONCORD,  N.  H.: 

PRINTED   BY   THE   REPUBLICAN   PRESS  ASSOCIATION. 
1878. 


1*1  v^ 


y  u 


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ipAciA^Zt^    GaA.^€cZ^^  &d 


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CONTENTS 


Page. 

Preliminary  Chapter, 

V 

Civil  Hi. 

3T0RY, 

1 

Chap.   I. 

Plantation  of  Coutoocook,    . 

1 

II. 

Settlement  of  Contoocook,    . 

15 

III. 

The  Second  Decade,     .... 

28 

IV. 

The  Ei-ench  and  Indian  War, 

51 

V. 

The  Town,           ..... 

81 

VI. 

Preparing  for  the  Great  Struggle, 

103 

VII. 

Beginning  of  the  Revolution, 

111 

VIII. 

Close  of  the  War,          .... 

122 

IX. 

Under  the  Constitution,       .          .          .         . 

136 

X. 

Pirst  Decade  of  the  Century, 

157 

XI. 

Progress,     ...... 

172 

XII. 

Prom  1820  to  1830, 

188 

XIII. 

Temperance, 

194 

XIV. 

Prom  1840  to  1850, 

203 

XV. 

Prom  1850  to  1860, 

211 

Webster 

,  . 

217 

Ecclesiastical  History, 

226 

Military 

History*,    . 

246 

Educational  History, 

279 

Biographical  History",    . 

301 

Genealogical,  . 

451 

Miscellany, 

619 

ILLUSTEATIOIN^S. 


Charles  Carleton  CofRn,    . 
John  Kimball,    .... 
I.  K.  Gage,         .... 
Map  of  Boscaweu  and  Webster, 
Alfred  Little,     .... 
Crossing  to  Contoocook,    . 
'Duston,  Neff,  and  Leonardson, 
Hezekiah  Fellows, 
S.  B.  Little,      . 
First  Meeting-house, 
William  H.  Gage, 
Abraham  Burbank, 
Nathan  Pearson, 
Moody  A.  Pillsbury, 
Indian  Medicine, 
Moses  Fellows, 
Hale  Atkinson, 
William  Temple, 
Elipbaiet  Kiburn, 
Benjamin  T.  Kimball 
Thomas  Gerrish, 
Thomas  Little, 
Worcester  Webster, 
Town-house,  Webster, 
Abial  R.  Chandler,    . 
Breaking  and  Swingling, 
Plow, 
Hay-scales, 
Friend  L.  Burbank, 
E.  K.  AVebster, 
Jacob  Gerrish, 
Congregational  Meeting-house,  Boscawen, 
Congregational  Meeting-house,  Webster, 
Congregational  Meeting-house,  Fisherville, 
Methodist  Meeting-house,  Webster, 
Bennington  Battle-ground, 
Plan  of  Bennington  Battle, 
D.  E.  Burbank, 
CM.  Burbank, 
W.  H.  Sargent, 
D.  A  Macurdy, 
Boscawen  Academy, 


Page. 
Frontispiece. 


VI  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Page. 

"*  Penacook  Academy, 293 

Enoch  Little, 301 

John  Aldrich,    ..,.....••  315 

Edward  Buxton, 323 

Jonas  Call, 335 

Moody  Currier, 345 

John  A.  Dix,  349 

Birthplace  of  John  Adams  Dix, •  357 

Moses  G.  Farmer, 361 

Early  Home  of  Prof.  M.  G.  Fanner, 371 

W.  P.  Fessendeu, 375 

llesidence  of  Dea.  Thomas  Gerrish, 379 

Martha  Clough  Gerrish, 384 

Nath'l  Greene, 387 

Chas.  G.  Greene, 393 

D.  F.  Kimball, 399 

Henry  Little, 413 

Jacob  Little, 421 

J.  L.  Pillsbury, 429 

Fred  P.  Stone, 439 

Daniel  Webster, 447 

Ezekiel  Webster, 453 

Henry  Atkinson, 469 

.Coffin  Arms, 491 

Enoch  Corser, 497 

John  P.  Farmer, 525  J 

F.  S.  French, 533  »■ 

The  Home  of  Enoch,  Isaac,  Enoch,  and  F.  L.  Gerrish,      .         .  539 

Enoch  Gerrish,  .........  551 

A^lmon  Harris, 555 

Enoch  Kilburn,  .........  5C3 

Peter  Kimball, 569 

Thomas  Little, 577 

Charles  Little, 587 

Peter  Stone, C13 

W.  AV.  Call, 621 

B.  A.  Kimball, 631 

S.  B.  Gerrish, 635 

Carding  and  Spinning, 641 

J.  W.  Gerrish 645 

Duston  Monument, 649 

F.  L.  Gerrish, 657 

J.  E.  Pecker, 659 

A.B.Winn, 661 


peelimi:n"aby  chapter. 


There  is  but  one  municipality  in  the  world  bearing  the  name 
of  Boscawen.  The  township,  thus  named  for  Lord  Boscawen  of 
the  English  navj',  is  situated  on  the  west  bank  of  Merrimack 
river  in  New  Hampshire.  Originally  it  was  seven  miles  square, 
and,  from  the  date  of  its  settlement  in  1733  to  1760,  bore  the  Ind- 
ian name  Contoocook,  After  a  corporate  existence  of  one  hun- 
dred years,  from  1760  to  1860,  the  township  was  divided  into  two 
parts  nearly  equal  in  area,  the  eastern  retaining  the  original  cor- 
porate name,  the  western  taking  the  name  of  Webster,  in  honor 
of  America's  great  orator,  jurist,  and  statesman,  who  received  his 
education,  in  part,  in  Boscawen,  and  who  for  three  years  was 
one  of  its  honored  citizens. 

The  first  movement  to  obtain  a  history  of  the  town  was  inau- 
gurated sixty  years  ago,  by  Capt.  Joshua  C  Plummer,  Henry, 
Enoch,  and  Simeon  B.  Little,  and  others,  at  whose  solicitation 
the  work  was  undertaken  by  Rev,  Ebenezer  Price,  pastor  of  the 
Second  Congregational  church.  George  Jackman,  born  in  1735, 
town-clerk  for  many  years,  was  then  living,  and  many  other  indi- 
viduals whose  memories  reached  back  to  the  early  years  of  the 
town's  history,  from  whom  Rev.  Mr.  Price  obtained  authentic  in- 
formation to  supplement  the  town  records.  The  result  of  his 
labor  was  the  publication  of  a  pamphlet  entitled  "A  Chronological 
Register  of  Boscawen,  Merrimack  county.  State  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, from  the  first  settlement  of  the  town  to  1820." 

The  town  voted  fifty  dollars  to  Rev.  Mr.  Price  as  compensa- 
tion for  the  writing,  but  appropriated  nothing  for  publishing  the 
pamphlet,  the  expense  of  which  was  borne  by  the  public-spirited 


Viii  PRELIMINARY   CHAPTER. 

men  who  started  the  enterprise,  to  their  pecuniary  loss.  The  his- 
tory was  written  with  much  care,  and,  though  brief,  presented  an 
admirable  outline  of  the  civil  affairs,  and  a  record  of  the  most  im- 
portant events  of  the  period. 

Fifty-eight  years  have  passed  since  the  publication  of  that 
history,  during  which  period  great  changes  have  taken  place. 
Many  of  the  former  citizens  and  their  descendants  are  to  be 
found  upon  the  prairies  of  the  West,  or  amid  the  mines  of  Nevada 
and  California  ;  while  others  have  taken  up  their  abodes  in  the 
manufacturing  towns  of  New  England,  or  in  the  cities  of  the  sea- 
board, turning  their  attention  from  agricultural  to  mechanical  or 
mercantile  pursuits.  Emigration,  railroads,  and  the  employment 
of  machinery,  supplanting  manual  labor  in  a  great  degree  m 
the  shop  and  on  the  farm,  have  changed  society.  Apprenticeship, 
and  trades  once  acquired  under  it,  together  have  disappeared. 
Many  of  the  employments  and  occupations  of  fifty  years  ago  have 
disappeared  forever.  New  habits  and  customs  have  taken  the 
places  of  those  of  other  days.  The  children  of  to-day  do  not  stand 
bare-headed,  with  cap  in  hand,  by  the  roadside,  and  "  make  their 
manners  "  when  the  minister  rides  by.  The  minister  is  no  longer 
an  oracle,  nor  are  the  town  esquires  embodiments  of  the  majesty 
of  law,  as  in  days  of  yore. 

Since  the  publication  of  Rev.  Mr.  Price's  history,  the  academy, 
and  the  graded  and  normal  schools,  have  supplemented  the  schools 
taught  by  the  masters  and  mistresses  of  the  olden  time,  in  which 
the  catechism  was  regarded  as  an  important  study.  No  newsboy 
rides  his  weekly  post-route  now,  as  Simeon  B.  Little  rode  in  those 
first  years  of  the  century,  carrying  the  Concord  Gazette  to  his 
patrons ;  no  canvas-covered  wagons  plod  their  way  along  the  turn- 
pike, from  Vermont  to  Boston;  no  gaily  painted  stage,  with 
horses  all  afoam,  rolls  along  the  dusty  way ;  the  tavern  sign  no 
longer  swings  in  the  wind ;  the  hospitable  landlord,  the  bar  with 
its  row  of  glass  decanters,  the  generous  fire  flaming  on  the 
hearth,  the  heated  loggerhead,  toddy-stick,  flip,  and  punch, — 
all  have  disappeared. 

There  are  new  methods  and  new  forces  in  the  civilization  of  to- 
day. The  railroad,  the  telegraph,  the  printing-press,  and  other 
forces  equally  powerful,  are  coming  in  to  transform  society ; — the 
telephone,  which  enables  us  to  talk  with  friends  far  away,  as  if 


PRELIMINARY    CHAPTER.  IX 

they  were  by  our  side  ;  the  phonograph,  which  preserves  the 
words  we  speak — which  will  bring  back  to  us  from  the  eternal 
shores  the  voices  of  our  departed  friends,  so  that  even  from  the 
spirit  land  we  may  still  hear  their  voices  as  when  they  were  with 
us  in  the  flesh. 

Fifty-eight  years  ago,  the  world  at  large  knew  nothing  of 
these  forces  of  civilization.  The  reaping-machine,  the  sewing- 
machine,  the  multitudinous  devices  and  arrangements  of  mechan- 
ical forces  to  make  iron,  steel,  steam,  and  water-power  do  the  work 
of  human  hands,  were  all  unknown.  The  period  since  1840  has 
been  the  world's  great  era  of  invention,  surpassing  all  other  pe- 
riods in  history. 

Fifty-eight  years  ago,  when  Rev.  Mr.  Price  laid  down  his  pen 
as  historian,  the  world  had  not  heard  of  the  men  whose  names 
to-day  are  written  large  in  the  history  of  the  republic.  In  1820, 
Daniel  Webster  was  a  lawyer  of  renown  in  Boston  ;  but  ten  years 
passed  before  the  nation  heard  of  him.  In  that  same  year,  John 
Adams  Dix  was  a  student-at-law,  poring  over  Blackstone  ;  William 
Pitt  Fessenden  a  sophomore  at  Bowdoin ;  Jacob  Little  a  soph- 
omore at  Dartmouth  ;  Henry  Little  at  work  on  his  father's  farm ; 
Moses  Gerrish  Farmer  an  infant  in  his  mother's  arms  ; — to-day, 
all  except  Rev.  Henry  Little  and  Prof.  Farmer  have  accomplished 
their  life-work,  and  have  passed  on  to  the  great  Hereafter. 

The  citizen  best  qualified  to  gather  up  the  memorials  of  the  past, 
to  summarize  the  life-work  of  his  compeers  through  this  period 
of  nearh'  three-score  years,  was  Simeon  B.  Little,  born  in  1797. 
He  had  an  inquiring  mind,  a  retentive  memory,  and  a  compre- 
hensive grasp  of  men  and  things.  In  his  boyhood  he  talked  with 
men  whose  memories  ran  back  to  the  first  years  of  the  town's  set- 
tlement. His  father  had  been  a  soldier  at  Bennington,  a  magis- 
trate, a  man  conversant  with  public  affairs.  Through  the  old  men 
of  his  early  years  he  became  intimately  acquainted  with  that  in- 
valuable history  and  tradition  of  the  past,  that  had  no  record  save 
in  the  memories  of  men.  Active  in  private  and  public  life,  he 
came  in  contact  with  the  whole  community.  As  moderator  of 
town-meetings,  he  knew  every  voter ;  as  administrator  of  estates 
and  executor  of  wills,  and  as  a  magistrate,  he  became  acquainted 
with  the  histories  of  individuals  and  families.  He  loved  history, 
and  for  many  years  intended  to  gather  up  the  records  and  memo- 


X  PRELIMINARY    CHAPTER. 

rials  for  the  basis  of  a  complete  history  ;  hut,  beset  hy  the  cares  of 
a  busy  life,  he  never  found  time  to  carry  out  his  intentions. 

It  was  in  1871,  after  partial  paralysis  had  incapacitated  him 
from  labor,  that  I  talked  with  him  upon  the  subject  of  employing 
some  one  to  write  at  his  dictation. 

"  It  is  too  late ;  somebody  else  must  do  it,"  he  said. 

Wishing  to  preserve  what  would  be  lost  forever  when  his  mem- 
ory failed,  I  made  notes  of  his  recollections,  not  with  the  inten- 
tion of  myself  embodying  them  in  a  historic  volume,  but  to  turn 
them  over  to  some  one  who  might  be  induced  to  undertake  the 
work. 

A  few  months  later  I  met  Eev.  Dr.  Nathaniel  Bouton,  tlien 
editing  the  Provincial  Records  of  New  Hampshire,  who  was 
keenly  alive  to  the  importance  of  preserving  town  histories. 

"  You  must  write  the  history  of  Boscawen,"  he  said.  ''  No 
other  town  has  exercised  a  more  potent  influence  for  good ;  none 
can  show  a  brighter  record,  or  such  a  roll  of  honor.  If  you  do 
not  undertake  the  work,  its  history  never  will  be  written." 

Impressed  by  the  earnest  remarks  of  Dr.  Bouton,  and  at  the 
solicitation  of  Isaac  K.  Gage,  Esq.,  and  others  of  my  native  town, 
I  began  the  collection  of  materials.  The  field  of  research  has  been 
wide,  embracing  the  archives  in  the  office  of  the  Massachusetts 
secretary  of  state,  the  secretary's  and  adjutant-general's  offices  at 
Concord,  the  libraries  of  the  New  Hampshire  Historical,  Massa- 
chusetts Historical,  and  New  England  Genealogical  and  Histori- 
cal societies,  the  records  of  the  proprietors  of  Contoocook,  and  the 
records  of  the  town  since  its  incorporation  up  to  1878. 

Lord  Macauley,  in  writing  his  History  of  England,  confessed 
that  he  had  obtained  valuable  information  from  old  almanacs,  and 
from  the  fly-leaves  of  books  scrawled  by  hands  that  had  long  before 
crumbled  to  dust.  Although  this  volume  is  but  the  history  of  a 
town  instead  of  a  period  in  the  history  of  a  kingdom,  I  may  with 
equal  propriety  express  my  indebtedness  to  scraps  of  paper  found 
in  old  chests  and  bags,  to  files  of  almanacs,  diaries,  account-books, 
and  other  memoranda  obtained  from  garrets. 

The  preparation  of  the  volume  has  necessitated  a  wide  corre- 
spondence ;  for  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Boscawen  are  to  be 
found  in  nearly  every  state  and  territory  of  the  Union.  I  am 
indebted  to  Gov.  John  A.  Dix  for  reminiscences  of  his  bovhood  in 


PRELIMINARY    CHAPTER.  Xl 

Boscawen;  also  to  Hon.  G.  W.  Nesmith,  of  Franklin,  for  valu- 
able information  relating  to  the  Colonial  and  Revolutionary 
periods ;  also  to  Levi  Bartlett,  of  Warner,  who  in  his  earl}'-  years 
was  a  resident  of  Boscawen,  and  whose  acquaintance  with  the 
chief  men  of  the  town  dates  hack  to  the  early  years  of  the  cen- 
tury. 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  express  my  indebtedness  to  Benjamin  Jack- 
man,  Enoch  Pillsbury,  David  Sweatt,  and  Luke  Corser, — all  born 
in  the  eighteenth  century,  and  who  are  still  able  to  recall  the 
scenes  of  their  early  years. 

I  am  under  special  obligations  to  Dea.  William  Temple,  of 
East  Woburn,  Mass.,  long  a  resident  of  Boscawen,  an  officer  of 
the  militia  and  of  the  church,  antiquary  and  genealogist,  who  has 
enriched  the  volume  by  his  contributions. 

To  my  co-laborers,  Isaac  K.  Gage,  John  C.  Pearson,  Hon, 
John  Kimball,  Maj.  Alfred  Little,  and  Ephraim  Little,  who  have 
especially  aided  in  the  preparation  of  the  volume,  who  have 
labored  with  no  hope  of  reward  except  that  enjoyment  which 
comes  from  serving  others,  I  express  my  sincere  gratitude,  and 
ask  for  them  the  thanks  of  the  public. 

The  citizens  of  Boscawen  are  indebted  to  Mrs.  Ezekiel  Webster 
for  the  portrait  of  her  husband,  and  also  to  Mrs.  Charlotte  G. 
Cumston,  of  Boston,  through  whose  liberality  the  volume  is 
adorned  by  portraits  of  her  father,  Col.  Charles  G.  Greene, 
and  her  uncle,  Nathaniel  Greene ;  and  they  are  under  like  obli- 
gations to  Hon.  ]\Ioody  Currier,  of  Manchester,  for  his  portrait ; 
to  Mrs.  Mary  G.  Wood,  of  West  Lebanon,  and  Mrs.  Betsy  Wil- 
son, of  Contoocook,  for  the  restored  view  of  one  of  the  historic 
mansions  no  longer  existing, — the  birthplace  of  Nathaniel  and 
Charles  G.  Greene  and  William  P.  Fessenden.  They  are  under 
like  obligations  to  Prof.  Moses  G.  Farmer  and  Mrs.  C.  C.  Coffin 
for  a  view  of  their  early  home ;  and  to  Col.  Enoch  Gerrish  for  a 
view  of  his  birth-place  and  home  of  his  ancestors. 

I  am  under  obligations  to  Eev.  Nathaniel  Bouton,  d.  d.,  lately 
deceased,  to  Benjamin  Chase,  historian  of  Chester,  and  to  Robert 
B.  Caverly,  of  Lowell,  Mass.,  for  illustrations,  which  add  much 
to  the  attractiveness  of  the  volume. 

To  those  who  have  contributed  portraits  of  themselves,  to  those 
filial  sons  and  daughters  who  have  given  portraits  of  fathers,  to 


Xn  PRELIMINARY    CHAPTER. 

all  who  have  contributed  biographies  and  genealogies,  the  thanks 
of  the  public  are  due. 

•  To  Henry  Rolfe,  of  Winchester,  Mass.,  the  citizens  are  indebted 
for  the  account  of  manufactures  at  Fisherville. 

Through  the  kindness  of  A.  J.  Coolidge,  of  Boston,  the  volume 
has  been  enriched  by  a  view  of  Bennington  battle-field. 

I  wish  to  express  mj^  thanks  to  Edward  A.  Jenks,  through 
whose  care  and  watchfulness  the  pages  of  the  volume  are  so  fair 
and  free  from  errors.  Thanks  are  also  due  to  W.  H.  Forbes,  of 
Boston,  for  the  care  taken  in  printing  the  lithographs  contained 
in  the  volume. 

To  aid  the  publication  of  this  history,  the  town  of  Boscawen 
voted,  in  1875,  with  great  unanimity,  the  sum  of  three  hundred 
dollars.  The  town  of  Webster  not  having  appropriated  any  money, 
and  it  being  manifest  that  a  history  worthy  of  the  town  could  not 
be  published  without  the  cooperation  of  individuals,  fifteen  public- 
spirited  citizens  obligated  themselves,  in  the  sum  of  eight  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars,  to  bear  whatever  expense  might  be  incur- 
red in  the  publication.      The  citizens  signing  this  compact  are 

Isaac  K.  Gage,  Peter  Coffin, 

Nathaniel  S.  Webster,  Charles  J.  Chadwick, 

E.  G.  Wood,  John  C.  Pearson, 

D.  E.  Kimball,  Geo.  Little, 

M.  A.  Pillsbury,  Sherman  Little, 

Henry  H.  Gerrish,  Wm.  W.  Burbank, 

r.  B.  Sawyer,  James  L,  Gerrish. 
Ephraim  Little, 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  record  their  names,  for  had  it  not  been  for 
their  public  spirit  the  history  would  never  have  reached  the 
hands  of  the  printer.  Coming  generations  will  accord  them  the 
honor  which  is  their  due. 

The  citizens  of  Boscawen  have  a  right  to  know  to  what  uses 
the  money  voted  by  the  town  has  been  appropriated,  and  it  is  a 
pleasure  to  say  that  they  will  find  the  entire  amount  in  the 
outline  map  of  the  two  towns,  and  in  the  views  of  the  churches, 
academies,  the  Duston  monument,  and  the  portraits  of  Daniel 
Webster,  John  A.  Dix,  and  William  P.  Eessenden. 

The  compiler  of  this  history  has  given  many  days  and  nights 


PRELIMINARY    CHAPTER.  XIU 

to  the  undertaking,  many  weeks  and  months,  has  experienced 
much  weariness  of  mind  and  body,  without  hope  of  any  pecuniary 
recompense  ;  but  he  has  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  the 
memorials  are  rescued  from  oblivion,  to  be  preserved  forever. 
Mistakes  there  are,  some  of  which  have  been  corrected  on  the 
page  of  amendments.  No  one  can  be  more  sensible  than  the 
writer  to  the  incompleteness  of  the  work,  nor  can  any  one  who 
has  not  engaged  iu  collecting  historical  data  understand  how 
difficult  it  has  been  in  many  instances  to  verify  information.  A 
historian  should  be  unbiassed;  and  it  has  been  the  aim  of  the 
writer,  in  this  respect,  to  divest  himself  of  all  predilection  that 
would  swerve  him  from  correct  statement  concerning  parties  in 
politics  and  denominations  in  religion,  and  a  just  judgment  of 
men  and  events. 

The  volume  has  grown  upon  the  compiler's  hands,  containing 
some  two  hundred  pages  more  than  was  first  contemplated ;  and 
yet  the  material  at  his  command,  statistical  and  documentary,  of 
great  interest,  would  have  swelled  the  volume  to  one  thousand 
pages.  The  record  of  service  in  the  Rebellion  is  limited  to  the 
names  of  those  who  enlisted.  Little  is  recorded  of  their  march- 
ings, their  sufferings,  their  heroism  in  battle,  their  wounds,  their 
deaths ;  and  space  also  has  been  wanting  to  set  forth  the  services 
of  those  who  have  been  educators  of  the  communit}' — a  long  list 
of  honorable  names. 

The  history  of  Boscawen  covers  a  period  of  one  hundred  and 
forty-five  years,  reaching  back  to  the  time  when  the  colonies  of 
England  embraced  only  a  narrow  strip  along  the  Atlantic  coast, 
when  by  far  the  largest  portion  of  the  continent  was  under  the 
dominion  of  France.  It  covers  the  period  of  the  great  struggle 
between  those  powers  for  supremacy  in  the  Western  world.  Citi- 
zens of  Boscawen  took  part  in  those  struggles,  and  aided  to 
supplant  the  banner  bearing  the  lilies  of  France  for  that  emblaz- 
oned with  the  cross  of  St.  George.  From  1733  to  1756  Bos- 
cawen was  the  outpost  of  civilization.  From  the  log  cabins  on 
King  street  to  the  St.  Lawrence  there  were  no  human  habi- 
tations, with  the  exception  of  those  in  Salisbury,' from  which  the 
settlers  were  forced  to  flee ;  yet,  keeping  watcli  and  ward,  the 
stalwart  citizens  of  Boscawen  boldly  maintained  their  ground 
against  the  savage  foe.     They  traversed  the  pathless  wilderness 


Xiv  PRELIMINARY    CHAPTER. 

to  the  upper  Connecticut,  or  served  at  Ticonderoga  and  Crown 
Point  against  the  common  enemy. 

In  the  Eevolution  every  citizen  was  a  patriot.  Twenty  men  of 
Boscawen  stood  unfalteringly  behind  the  rail  fence  at  Bunker  Hill 
with  John  Stark,  and  gave  that  resistance  which  made  the  repub- 
lic of  the  United  States  a  possibility.  Twenty-six  of  them  were 
in  that  storming  of  the  enemy's  works  at  Bennington,  which,  in 
its  results,  made  the  republic  a  certainty. 

In  the  war  of  1812,  and  in  the  Rebellion  of  1861,  there  was  no 
diminution  of  patriotism.  Whenever  soldiers  were  called  for,  there 
were  men  ready  to  enlist ;  whenever  money  was  wanted,  there 
was  no  stint  in  appropriation. 

Whoever  peruses  this  history  will  notice  that  the  first  settlers 
recognized  religion  as  essential  to  the  welfare  of  the  community ; 
that  at  the  outset  they  erected  a  meeting-house,  organized  a 
church,  and  settled  a  minister;  that  through  all  the  proprietary 
meetings,  the  first  business  done  was  to  vote  the  necessary  sup- 
plies for  the  support  of  their  pastor ;  that  during  the  years  when 
they  were  compelled  to  live  in  garrison,  doing  their  work  in  the 
field  with  sentinels  on  guard,  and  during  all  the  hardships  of  the 
Colonial  and  Revolutionary  periods,  they  maintained  public  wor- 
ship. 

It  will  be  further  noticed,  that  during  the  Colonial  war,  when 
taxes  were  burdensome,  and  through  the  Revolution,  when  their 
currency  was  worthless,  they  supported  public  schools. 

"New  Hampshire  produces  granite  and  men,"  was  Daniel 
Webster's  answer  to  one  who  sneered  at  the  rock-ribbed  state 
that  gave  him  birth.  Is  there  any  other  locality  in  this  republic 
that  can  present  such  a  roll  of  honorable  names  as  Boscawen  ex- 
hibits to  the  world  ?  True,  Daniel  and  Ezekiel  Webster  were 
born  just  outside  its  corporate  limits,  but  the  influence  of  such  a 
civilization  as  the  first  settlers  of  Contoocook  inaugurated  is  not 
confined  by  lines  run  by  a  surveyor's  compass,  measured  by  a 
chain,  and  blazed  on  the  pines  of  the  forest.  Such  a  civilization 
illuminates  all  the  surrounding  country.  The  early  settlers  of 
Salisbury  sat  in  its  light,  as  did  they  of  Canterbury,  attending 
meeting  in  Boscawen.  Not  till  1773,  thirty-three  years  after  the 
settlement  of  Rev.  Phineas  Stevens,  was  there  a  minister  in  Salis- 
bury.   Although  Canterbury  was  incorporated  as  a  town  in  1727, 


PRELIMINARY    CHAPTER.  XV 

and  was  settled  in  1733,  there  was  no  clmrcli  organized  till  1760. 
Not  till  1772,  when  Rev.  Eden  Bnrroughs  was  ordained,  was 
there  a  minister  in  Hopkinton.  Throngh  all  those  years,  dating 
back  to  1738,  the  log  meeting-house  on  King  street  was  the  one 
spot  between  Concord  and  Canada  where  public  religious  service 
was  always  maintained.  As  upon  the  yielding  sand  we  trace  the 
footsteps  of  those  who  have  gone  before  us,  so  on  the  pages  of 
this  history  we  shall  see  what  those  first  settlers — what  Kev. 
Phineas  Stevens,  Rev.  Robie  Morrill,  Rev.  Samuel  Wood,  those 
early  ministers  of  Boscawen — did  for  those  who  have  succeeded 
them  in  the  march  of  life. 

To  Rev.  Samuel  Wood  came  Daniel  Webster,  at  the  age  of  fif- 
teen, to  supplement  his  few  weeks  of  study  at  Exeter,  preparatory 
to  entering  Dartmouth  college.  In  the  library  established  by  the 
citizens  of  Boscawen  he  found  mental  aliment  which  gave  him 
strength  in  after  years.  To  Boscawen  he  came  to  begin  the  busi- 
ness of  life  :  from  it  he  went  forth,  with  the  impress  of  its  civili- 
zation upon  him,  to  enter  upon  his  great  career. 

To  the  same  faithful  teacher  and  pastor  came  Ezekiel  Webster 
to  prepare  for  college.  He  made  Boscawen  his  home,  lighting  his 
torch  at  that  fire  kindled  seventy  years  before  by  those  men  and 
women,  who,  in  their  poverty  and  feebleness,  estimating  their 
moral  and  spiritual  welfare  as  of  greater  moment  than  all  things 
else,  reared  their  meeting-house  and  established  a  church. 

Not  only  these  two  men,  but  those  other  distinguished  men, 
whose  names  are  recorded  in  this  volume,  who  have  left  their 
mark  upon  the  age,  are  the  natural  outgrowth  of  the  seed  sown 
by  those  first  settlers  of  Boscawen,  who  obtained  a  learned  min- 
ister from  Harvard  college  as  their  teacher  in  moral  and  spirit- 
ual things. 

The  reader  will  be  interested  to  see  how  the  influence  of  that 
act,  like  a  river,  having  its  source  in  an  ever-flowing  fountain,  has 
broadened  and  deepened  ;  how  it  has  fertilized  the  nation ;  how 
the  forces  brought  into  action  by  those  self-denying  men  and 
women  have  been  felt  in  the  pulpit,  the  forum,  the  university ;  in 
the  legislative  halls  of  states  and  of  the  nation;  in  diplomacy;  in 
finance ;  in  the  founding  of  churches  and  the  establishment  of  Sun- 
day-schools ;  in  education,  science,  journalism,  authorship;  in* the 
moulding  of  public  opinion ;  in  missionary  effort, — felt  to-day  not 


Xvi  PRELIMINARY    CHAPTER. 

only  iu  the  United  States,  but  in  Asia  and  Africa  !  Would  Jacob 
Little  have  stamped  the  impress  of  his  religious  character  upon  the 
churches  of  Ohio,  if  there  had  been  no  church  in  Boscawen  dur- 
ing those  early  years  ?  Would  Henry  Little  have  been  such  an 
organizer  of  Sunday-schools  and  churches  throughout  the  West,  if 
Rev.  Phineas  Stevens  had  not  been  ordained  pastor  of  the  little 
chutch  in  the  Contoocook  wilderness  ?  Would  Henry  8.  G.  French 
have  gone  a  missionary  to  Siam,  or  Myron  Pinkerton  to  South 
Africa,  if  Joseph  Gerrish,  Joseph  Coffin,  Jacob  Flanders,  and 
their  fellow  proprietors,  had  not  reared  that  first  meeting-house? 
Did  the  life-work  of  Phineas  Stevens,  Dea.  George  Jackman,  and 
godly  Joanna  Hale  Gerrish  die  out  in  their  generation  ?  "  Blessed 
are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord,  *  *  *  and  their  works  do 
follow  them." 

The  reader  of  these  pages  will  have  occasion  often  to  recall  the 
words  of  Jacob  Little  to  his  beloved  pastor,  Rev.  Ebenezer  Price 
(p.  434):  "  Mr.  Price,  you  will  never  die.  What  you  have  taught, 
by  precept  and  example,  is  spreading  wider  and  wider,  and  going 
on  to  the  third  generation,  and  will  keep  going." 

Rev.  Phineas  Stevens,  Rev.  Samuel  Wood,  Rev.  Ebenezer  Price, 
Rev.  Edward  Buxton,  and  all  who  have  labored  for  the  moral  and 
spiritual  welfare  of  the  communitj',  are  living  on  in  the  labors  of 
those  whose  lives  and  characters  have  been  moulded  by  their  in- 
structions. Institutions  that  have  their  origin  in  the  moral  and 
spiritual  needs  of  men  live  forever.  The  first  rude  meeting-house 
disappeared ;  the  second  was  licked  up  by  the  flames  four  score 
years  ago, — but  the  church  lives  on.  Rev.  Phineas  Stevens  is 
preaching  still.  How  far  that  little  candle,  lighted  by  the  Chris- 
tian men  and  women  of  Contoocook,  throws  its  beams  !  How,  as 
the  years  roll  on,  it  will  burn  with  ever  increasing  briglitness  ! 

Not  only  the  white  light  of  a  spiritual  life,  but  the  pure  flame 
of  patriotic  devotion.  The  little  log  meeting-house  was  loop- 
holed  for  defence.  The  settlers  worshipped  with  their  rifles  by 
their  sides.  Rev.  Phineas  Stevens  marched  with  his  flock  in  pur- 
suit of  the  savage.  No  Indian  war-whoop  blanched  the  cheeks 
of  Andrew  Bohonnon,  Moses  Burbank,  Nathaniel  and  William 
Danforth,  on  that  day  when  Enos  Bishop  was  captured  within 
sight  of  the  meeting-house,  nor  when  Thomas  Cook  and  Ctesar 
were  shot  down  at  Clay  hill.     The  settlers  of  Hopkinton,  Warner, 


PRELIMINARY    CHAPTER.  XVU 

and  Salisbury  might  abandon  their  homes,  but  they  would  not. 
Who  can  measure  the  influence  of  that  courage  upon  those  who 
came  after  them  ?  If  they  had  been  pusillanimous  then,  would 
Lieut.  Samuel  Atkinson,  David  Burbank,  Edmund  Chadwick,  Asa 
Corser,  David  Flanders,  and  their  comrades  have  stood  like  a  wall 
of  adamant  at  Bunker  Hill  ?  would  Capt.  Peter  Kimball  and  his 
soldiers  have  stormed  the  heights  at  Bennington  ?  would  John 
Adams  Dix,  a  century  later,  by  a  single  stroke  of  the  pen,  have 
thrilled  the  country  with  patriotic  fervor, — "^  any  man  attempts 
to  haul  doxon  the  American  flag,  shoot  him  on  the  spot "  f 

Men  die,  generations  come  and  go,  but  teachings,  examples,  and 
principles  live.  So  the  unflinching  bravery  of  1746-1760,  after  a 
century  had  rolled  away,  bloomed  anew  in  1860  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  republic. 

This  volume  is  a  simple  recital  of  hardships,  sufferings,  and  pri- 
vations ;  of  courage  and  endurance ;  of  the  principles  and  progress 
of  a  rural  community.  It  is  no  ignoble  record,  for,  numbered 
among  the  citizens  of  Boscawen,  are  those  who  have  sent  their 
names  down  the  advancing  centuries.  It  is  a  memorial  which 
will  be  of  ever-increasing  value  as  the  years  go  by,  which  will  be 
an  heirloom  to  other  generations ;  for  through  it  the  citizens  of 
Boscawen  will  connect  themselves  with  those  whom  the  world  has 
recognized  as  worthy  of  all  honor. 

In  all  ages  there  has  been  a  desire  among  men  to  associate 
themselves  with  the  great  and  good,  thus  manifesting  their  capac- 
ity and  longing  for  immortality :  for  greatness  and  goodness  are 
eternal  in  their  nature,  and  men  possessing  them  can  never  die. 

Said  Daniel  AVebster,  standing  on  Plymouth  rock,  in  1S20, — 
"  By  ascending  to  an  association  with  our  ancestors ;  \>^  con- 
templating their  example,  and  studying  their  character ;  by  jjar- 
taking  their  sentiments  and  imbibing  their  spirit ;  by  accom- 
panying them  in  their  toils;  by  sympathizing  in  their  sufferings, 
and  rejoicing  in  their  successes  and  their  triumphs, — we  seem  to 
belong  to  their  age,  and  to  mingle  our  existence  with  theirs.  *  * 
Next  to  the  sense  of  religious  duty  and  moral  feeling,  I  hardly 
know  what  should  bear  with  stronger  obligation  on  a  liberal  and 
enlightened  mind  than  a  consciousness  of  alliance  with  excellence 
which  is  departed,  and  a  consciousness,  too,  that  in  its  acts  and 
conduct,  and  even  in  its  sentiments  and  thoughts,  it  may  be 
II 


XVlll  PRELIMINARY    CHAPTER, 

actively  operating  on  the  hapjiiness  of  those  who  come  after 
it." 

So  the  great  orator  recognized  the  aspiration  of  the  liuman 
race  to  associate  itself  with  departed  greatness.  To  be  born 
where  great  men  have  had  their  nativity,  or  where  they  have 
lived,   is,   as   it  were,  a  patent   of  nobility. 

"And  of  Zion  it  shall  be  said,  This  and  that  man  was  born  in 
her :  and  the  highest  himself  shall  establish  her.  The  Lord  shall 
count,  when  he  writeth  np  the  people,  that  this  man  was  born 
there." 

So  the  poet  king  of  Israel  sets  forth  the  inherent  nobility  that 
comes  from  such  a  nativity.  And  the  writer  of  the  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews  takes  up  the  theme,  and  pictures  the  exaltation  that 
comes  to  the  citizens  of  the  commonwealth  of  Israel  through  those 
who  "subdued  kingdoms,  and  wrought  righteousness." 

This  desire  for  an  alliance  with  the  great  and  good  is  one  of 
the  mightiest  motives  for  human  action.  Over  burning  sands  the 
weary  pilgrim  of  the  Orient  wends  his  way,  that  he  may  bow  in 
adoration  before  the  tomb  of  Mahomet,  and  so  prepare  himself  for 
the  pleasures  of  Paradise.  The  church  of  Rome,  recognizing  this 
aspiration  of  the  human  race,  canonizes  its  saints,  and  exhibits  its 
multitudinous  relics,  investing  them  with  power  to  heal  disease, 
preserve  from  harm,  or  to  save  from  sin.  Is  there  any  other 
force  that  can  so  stir  the  human  heart  ?  "  Soldiers  of  France  ! 
four  thousand  years  look  down  upon  you."  So  Bonaparte  ad- 
dressed his  soldiers,  and  in  that  one  sentence  lay  enfolded,  as  it 
were,  the  victory  of  the  battle  of  the  Pyramids,  At  Plymouth 
rock,  at  Bunker  Hill,  at  Gettysburg,  or  wherever  men  have  made 
great  sacrifices  for  their  fellow-men,  our  longing  for  immortality 
is  kindled  anew ; — so  through  their  devotion  are  we  lifted  to  a 
higher  plane  of  existence. 

In  this  volume  no  attempt  has  been  made  to  measure  the  value 
of  services  rendered.  Omnipotence  alone  can  gather  up  results. 
Plain  and  simple  the  record,  but  the  sons  and  daughters  of  the 
good  old  town,  perusing  it,  shall  say, — God  bless  her  in  the 

FUTURE  AS  He  has  BLEST  HER  IN  THE  PAST  ! 


LOCALITIES    IN    BOSCAWEN.  XIX 


LOCALITIES  IN  BOSCAWEN. 

KING    STREET. 

The  first  settlers  of  Contoocook  manifested  their  loyalty  to  their  sov- 
erign  by  calling  the  street  on  which  they  erected  their  meeting-house, 
"  King  street."  In  time  it  began  to  go  by  the  name  of  "  The  Plain." 
As  laid  out  by  the  surveyor,  it  extended  from  the  small  brook  emptying 
into  the  pond  at  the  southerly  end,  called  "  Town  House  brook"  in  the 
records,  to  the  "Hollow,"  through  which  flows  "Mill  brook."  For  a 
half  century  or  more  it  has  been  known  as  Boscawen  Plain.  It  was 
laid  out  wide  and  straight,  with  house  lots  on  each  side. 

QUEEN    STREET. 

This  street,  leading  west  from  King  street,  was  the  second  one  laid 
out  by  Mr.  Brown. 

MARLBOROUGH    STREET. 

The  third  street  laid  out  by  Mr.  Brown  ran  from  Queen  street  north, 
parallel  with  King  street,  extending  also  to  the  "  Hollow."  The  set- 
tlers named  it  in  honor  of  the  Duke  of  Marlborough.  It  was  on  the 
west  side  of  the  "  Mountain,"  and  crossed  the  present  travelled  road  at 
the  top  of  the  hill  east  of  "Cold  brook."  In  the  records  it  is  sometimes 
written  Mulbury  street.  A  century  ago  it  was  probably  quite  as  much 
of  a  thoroughfare  as  King  street. 

THE   HOLLOW. 

There  is  a  deep  ravine  at  the  northern  end  of  King  street,  through 
which  flows  Mill  brook,  upon  which  the  first  mill  was  erected.  The 
locality  is  known  as  ''  The  Hollow,"  sometimes  as  "  The  Valley  of  Indus- 
try," from  the  number  of  industrial  pursuits  carried  on  there.  Forty 
years  ago  it  was  familiarly  known  as  "  Sodom."  Why  so  called  is  not 
known,  but  certainly  not  for  any  extraordinary  and  special  wickedness 
of  the  dwellers  therein,  whose  reputation  for  honesty  and  sobriety  has 
never  been  called  in  question. 

THE   MOUNTAIN. 

The  hill  west  of  the  Plain  has  received  the  name  of  "  The  Mountain." 
From  the  highest  point,  the  Indians,  during  the  first  French  and  Indian 
war,  were  accustomed  to  look  down  upon  the  garrison,  and  watch  for 
opportunities  to  capture  incautious  settlers.    On  its  highest  summit  the 


XX  LOCALITIES    IN    BOSCAWEN, 

students  of  the  academy,  about  1830,  erected  a  stone  platform,  where 
they  used  to  rehearse  their  declamations,  sending  forth  incipient  oratory 
for  the  benefit  of  the  inhabitants  and  travellers  on  the  street  below. 

FISII    STREET. 

The  road  extending  from  the  Hollow  to  Franklin  received  the  name 
of  Fish  street  in  1738.  How  far  north  it  was  laid  by  Mr.  Brown  at 
that  time  is  unknown,  but  it  was  extended  to  Salisbury  on  the  petition 
of  John  Sergent  soon  after  [see  Hist.]. 

THE    TURNPIKE. 

The  highway,  beginning  at  the  bridge  across  the  Merrimack  known 
as  Boscawen  bridge,  and  extending  to  Salisbury,  was  made  a  part  of 
the  Fourth  New  Hampshire  Turnpike,  in  the  charter  of  that  corpora- 
tion :  hence  its  name. 

THE    TOLL-GATE. 

One  of  the  toll-gates  of  the  Fourth  New  Hampshire  Turnpike  was 
located  at  the  top  of  the  hill  east  of  Cold  brook.  The  toll-house  is  still 
standing. 

THE    GULF. 

The  deep  ravine  through  which  Cold  brook  flows  was  known  as  "  The 
Gulf"  by  the  first  settlers,  as  appears  from  its  frequent  mention  in  the 
records,  and  has  ever  since  been  so  called. 

CLAY    HILL. 

The  north  bank  of  the  Gulf  is  a  compact  bed  of  clay,  which  was  re- 
served by  the  Proprietors  as  common  land  for  the  use  of  the  settlers, 
and  has  always  been  called  "  Clay  hill." 

HIGH   STREET. 

The  section  of  highway  extending  from  the  late  residence  of  Col. 
Enoch  Gerrish  to  Salisbury  line  was  laid  out  by  John  Brown,  and  was 
appropriately  named  "  High  street." 

WOODBURY   PLAIN. 

The  small  but  level  section  of  land  a  half  mile  west  of  the  Gulf  and 
east  of  the  cemetery  was  the  site  selected  by  Mr.  Ephraim  Woodbury, 
an  early  settler,  for  his  home,  and  hence  became  known  as  the  Wood- 
bury Plain.  The  clay  deposit  shows  itself  upon  the  eastern  border  of 
the  plain,  and  bricks  were  at  one  time  manufactured  there. 


LOCALITIES    IN    BOSCAWEN.  XXI 


WATER    STREET. 


The  highway  extending  from  the  easterly  end  of  Great  pond  to  Salis- 
bury, parallel  with  High  street,  was  laid  out  by  John  Brown,  and 
named  Water  street. 


EEL    STREET. 


The  street  from  the  hotel  kept  by  Capt.  John  Chandler  to  Boscawen 
bridge  was  called  Eel  street.  In  the  autumn  large  quantities  of  eels 
were  caught  there,  in  pots  set  near  the  mills.  Recently  it  has  been 
called  Commercial  street. 


duston's  island. 


At  the  junction  of  the  Contoocook  with  the  Merrimack  is  a  small 
island,  wholly  in  Boscawen,  which  was  the  scene  of  the  heroic  deed  of 
Hannah  Duston  and  Mary  Neff,  in  delivering  themselves  of  their  Indian 
captors.  The  island  is  now  crossed  by  the  Northern  Railroad  ;  and 
upon  it  is  the  monument  erected  to  commemorate  Mrs.  Duston's  achieve- 
ment. 


STIRRUP-IRON   BROOK. 


Tradition  has  it,  that  many  years  ago  a  stirrup  iron,  lost  by  Gen. 
Henry  Dearborn,  of  Revolutionary  fame,  a  general  in  the  War  of  1812, 
while  on  a  visit  to  a  sister  in  Salisbury,  gave  a  name  to  the  stream  which 
has  its  source  among  the  Salisbury  hills,  and  which  empties  into  the 
Merrimack  at  North  Boscawen. 


INDIAN    BRIDGE. 


The  bridge  across  Stirrup-Iron  brook  bears  this  name  in  Rev.  Mr. 
Price's  history  of  Boscawen,  so  named  from  the  killing  of  Sabbatis  and 
Plansawa  by  Bowen  a  few  rods  north  of  the  locality. 


LOWER   INTERVALE. 


The  intervale  lands  in  the  bend  of  the  river,  above  the  junction  of  the 
MArimack  and  Contoocok,  were  called  by  the  first  settlers  the  Lower 
Intervale  lots. 


MIDDLE    INTERVALE. 


The  wide  reach  of  lands  above  the  Lower  Intervale  and  Canterbury 
bridge  is  put  down  upon  the  first  survey  of  the  town  by  John  Brown 
as  the  Middle  Intervale. 


XXU  LOCALITIES    IN    WEBSTER. 

UPPER   INTERVALE. 

The  land  in  the  bend  extending  from  the  mouth  of  Mill  brook  to  the 
small  pond  east  of  the  HoIIoav  is  recorded  on  Surveyor  Brown's  map  as 
the  Upper  Intervale. 

MUCHYEDO. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  Merrimack,  in  Canterbury,  is  a  high  sand- 
bank, which  is  a  conspicuous  landmark  from  the  summit  of  Kearsarge 
mountain.  Although  not  in  Boscawen,  occasional  mention  is  made  of 
it.  There  are  various  traditions  relative  to  the  origin  of  the  name, — 
one,  that  an  Indian,  speaking  broken  English,  exclaimed, — "Much-ye- 
do  to  climb  it." 


LOCALITIES  IN  WEBSTER. 


CORSEK   HILL. 


The  long  and  high  swell  of  land  upon  which  the  Congregational  meet- 
ing-house stands  bears  the  name  of  the  settler  David  Corser,  who  pur- 
chased a  large  tract  of  land  upon  it,  and  erected  the  first  franled  house 
v/est  of  Beaver  dam. 

fowler's  plain. 

The  level  plat  ©f  land  east  of  Corser  hill  and  west  of  Beaver  dam  was 
so  named  from  the  settler  Lemuel  Fowler,  who  lived  near  Beaver  Dam 
brook.  It  was  originally  covered  with  Norway  pines,  and  in  the  rec- 
ords is  sometimes  called  Norway  plain.  From  tlie  beginning  of  the 
century  to  1816,  many  regimental  musters  were  held  there. 

LITTLE   BROOK. 

The  small  brook  west  of  Beaver  dam,  having  its  rise  near  Salisbury 
line  and  flowing  into  Couch  pond,  has  long  borne  the  name  of  "Little 
brook."  • 

cook's  hill. 

The  rounded  eminence  north  of  Corser  hill  has  borne  the  name  of 
Cook's  hill  since  1745,  when  Thomas  Cook  built  his  log  cabin  near  it, 
which  probably  was  the  first  house  erected  in  what  is  now  the  town  of 
Webster.     He  was  killed  the  next  year  by  the  Indians  at  Clay  hill. 


./' 


-i/ 


LOCALITIES    IN    WEBSTER.  XXlll 


MUTTON    ROAD. 


The  road  leading  from  Corser  hill  to  Salisbury  south  village  was  laid 
out  to  enable  the  residents  of  Salisbury  to  reach  Hopkinton,  which 
prior  to  1823  was  one  of  the  shire  towns  of  Hillsborough  county. 
It  received  the  name  of  Mutton  road,  from  the  fact  that  some  per- 
sons had  been  in  the  habit  of  helping  themselves  to  mutton  which 
did  not  belong  to  them,  from  the  flocks  of  sheep  in  the  pastures 
through  which  the  road  was  located. 

PLEASANT   STRRET. 

The  highway  leading  south  from  INIutton  road  was  laid  out  by  the 
first  surveyor  of  town  lots, — John  Brown, — and  was  named  Pleasant 
street  by  the  first  settlers. 

DINGIT   CORNER. 

The  junction  of  several  roads  near  the  great  bend  of  Blackwater 
river  bears  the  name  of  Dingit  corner, — so  named,  according  to  tradi- 
tion, from  a  little  domestic  turmoil.  A  settler  lived  near  the  local- 
ity. One  day  there  was  a  difference  of  opinion  between  himself 
and  wife ;  and  the  latter  seized  a  skillet  to  use  as  an  argument 
in  the  case,  but  hesitated  about  throwing  it.  The  husband,  probably 
not  having  any  great  fear  of  the  skillet,  cried  out, — "  Ding  it!  ding  it!" 
Hence  the  name. 

BATTLE    STREET. 

The  road  leading  from  Corser  hill  north  to  Salisbury,  w^est  of  Cook's 
hill,  was  one  of  the  original  highways  laid  out  by  the  proprietors,  and 
was  named  by  them  "  Battle  street." 

LITTLE    HILL. 

Mr.  Enoch  Little,  an  early  I'esident  of  what  is  now  Webster,  located 
on  the  swell  of  land  west  of  Blackwater,  in  the  north-west  section  of 
the  town,  and  his  sons  settled  around  him,  giving  a  name  to  the 
locality. 

WEST    NEWBURY   STREET. 

The  highway  leading  north  over  Little  hill  was  laid  out  by  the  pro- 
prietors, who  named  it  ''  West  Newbury  street,"  probably  because  it 
was  the  most  westerly  highway  in  the  division  of  lots,  and  also  to  keep 
in  remembrance  their  former  home  in  Newbury. 


XXIV  LOCALITIES    IN    WEBSTER, 

LONG   POND. 

This  pond,  in  Webster,  is  nearly  two  miles  long,  and  from  one  half 
to  three  fourths  of  a  mile  wide  ;— hence  the  appropriateness  of  the  name. 

WHITE    PLAIN. 

The  etymology  of  the  name  is  unknown.  It  is  applied  to  the  valley 
through  which  flows  the  stream  issuing  from  Long  pond  westward  to 
Warner  river! 


The  region  west  of  Little  hill  is  known  to  the  inhabitants  of  Webster 
as  "  Dublin."  A  citizen  of  Irish  descent  once  lived  there,  and  hence  the 
name  of  the  capital  of  Ireland. 

POND    HILL. 

The  high  swell  of  land  west  of  Long  pond. 


The  south-western  section  of  the  town  was  covered  with  a  dense 
forest  growth.  There  were  so  many  great  red  and  white  oak  trees, 
that  Dea.  Enoch  Little,  St.,  thought  it  was  worthy  of  bearing  the 
biblical  name  of  "  Bashan,"  the  country  east  of  the  Jordan,  renowned 
for  its  oaks,  mentioned  in  Zech.  11  -.2:  "  Howl,  O  ye  oaks  of  Bashan." 
The  name  thus  given  has  remained  to  the  present  time. 

RATTLESNAKE     HILL. 

Webster,  in  common  with  many  other  towns,  has  its  "  Rattlesnake 
hill,"  the  highest  hill  in  Bashan.  When  the  first  settlers  erected  their 
homes  in  that  section,  it  was  the  haunt  of  rattlesnakes.  Mr.  Moses 
Gerrish,  on  one  occasion,  killed  forty  in  one  day.  The  hearts  of  rattle- 
snakes were  regarded  as  a  specific  for  the  cure  of  consumption  in  those 
days,  and  Mr.  Gerrish  was  employed  by  the  Shakers  to  hunt  the 
reptiles. 

KNIGHT   MEADOW   BROOK. 

The  brook  which  runs  south,  west  of  Little  hill,  from  Tucker's  pond) 
in  Salisbury,  to  the  stream  issuing  from  Long  pond. 


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LOCALITIES. 


LOCALITIES   UPON  THE   LINE   BETWEEN   I30SCAWEN 
AND  WEBSTER. 

LONG    STREKT. 

Freriuent  mention  is  made,  in  the  records,  of  "  Long  street."  It  is 
the  highway  leading  from  High  street,  in  Boscawen,  to  Corscr  hill, 
and  from  thence  by  ^Vhite  plain  to  Warner. 

BEAVER    DAM. 

The  stream,  which  has  its  source  in  Salisbm-y,  and  which  flows  into 
Couch  pond,  has  been  made  the  dividing  line  between  Boscawen  and 
Webster.     It  was  a  favorite  haunt  of  beavers,  whose  dams  may  still  be 


POND   BROOK. 

The  brook  south  of  Couch  pond,  running  to  Great  pond,  and  from 
Great  pond  to  the  Contoocook  river,  bears  the  name  of  "  Pond  brook." 

GREAT    POND. 

The  name,  undoubtedly,  was  given  to  this  sheet  of  water  by  the 
first  settlers,  as  it  occurs  in  Abner  dough's  journal,  1754,  an  extract 
from  which  will  be  found  in  the  historical  section.  It  lies  half  in  Web- 
ster and  half  in  Boscawen. 

COUCH    POND. 

This  is  the  small  pond  north  of  Great  pond. 


OOEEECTIOES 


Tt  is  almost  certain  that  in  the  preparation  and  printing  of 
books  there  will  be  mistakes.  In  a  town  history,  errors  are  un- 
avoidable. Some  statements  will  need  revision  ;  wrong  dates  will 
be  given ;  there  will  be  errors  in  copying  and  in  proof-reading. 
This  volume  is  no  exception  to  the  general  rule.  Owing  to  the 
absence  of  the  compiler  while  the  sheets  were  passing  through  the 
press,  there  are  some  errors  which  might  have  been  corrected  in 
the  proof  had  the  pages  passed  under  his  final  revision.  The 
mistakes,  however,  are  generally  unimportant.  The  corrections 
given  below  are  placed  at  the  beginning  of  the  volume  in  order 
that  the  reader  may  see  what  they  are  before  reading.  It  is  rec- 
ommended that  a  *  be  made  at  the  outset,  with  a  pen,  in  the 
margin  of  the  page,  against  the  corrections.  kSucIi  a  mark  will 
direct  the  attention  to  the  proper  reading. 

Page  42.  ''  Cajit.  Daniel  Todd,  of  Exeter,"  should  read  Daniel 
Ladd. 

Page  48.  "The  nearest  grist-mill  *  *  *  -was  situated  at 
Millville,"  should  read  xoas  situated  at  West  Concord.  The 
later  information  has  been  obtained  from  Simeon  Abbot,  of  Con- 
cord. 

Page  132.  "Carding  and  fulling  mills  were  established  in 
every  town."  It  is  a  misstatement.  Carding  at  that  date,  1786, 
was  done  wholly  by  hand.  There  was  no  carding  by  machinery 
in  Boscawen,  probably,  till  about  twenty  years  later.  Machine- 
carding  was  not  invented  till  about  the  beginning  of  the  century. 
Cloth-dressing  was  a,  distinct  occupation.  Dea.  Isaac  Pearson 
only  dressed  cloth. 


XXVlll  CORRECTIONS. 

Page  135.     "Dwiglit  corner"  should  read  Dingit  corner. 

Page  152.  In  the  protest  of  Silas  Call,  the  first  ''  profession," 
although  existing  in  the  original  document,  is  evidently  a  clerical 
error,  and  should  he  stricken  out. 

Page  174.     In  last  line,  "  foot-stones  "  should  read  foot-stoves. 

Page  208.  The  regiment  of  U.  S.  soldiers  passing  through  the 
town  should  be  recorded  under  date  of  1845. 

Page  225.  "  Eesolved  that  *  *  *  passed  18  May,  1877," 
should  read  1876. 

Page  273.  "Abraham  Burbank,  its  first  commander,"  should 
read  second  commander. 

Page  278.     "  Thurber,  Joseph,"  should  read  Thurher,  Joseph  B. 

Page  309.  "  Born  in  Newbury,  3  June,  0.  S.  1712,"  should 
read  22  January,  1711. 

Page  310.  "  He  married  Elizabeth  Chase,"  should  read  3Iar- 
tha  Chase. 

Page  324.  "■  Mrs.  Lois  Jewett,"  should  read  Miss  Lois  Jewett ; 
and  "  Mrs.  Louisa  Jane  Dix  Pillsbury,"  should  read  Mrs.  Louisa 
F'rances  Dix  Pillsbury. 

Page  369.  "A  telegraph  wire  with  a  case  or  covering  of  iron 
or  steel,"  should  read  a  steel  wire  covered  with  copper. 

Page  399.  "  Kimball,  Benj.  T.  *  *  *  He  died  9  July, 
1852,"  should  read  2  July,  1852. 

Page  400.  "  Kimball,  Peter,  was  born  25  May,  1817,"  should 
read  25  March,  1817. 

Page  408.  "  Little,  Enoch,  Dea.,  2d,  =*  *  was  born  1804," 
should  read  1802. 

Page  427.  "  Pearson,  Nathan.  *  *  He  died  8  Oct.,  1868," 
should  read  12  Oct.,  1868. 

Page  429.  "Pillsbury,  Joseph  L.,  Col.  *  *  He  died  10 
Jan.,  1874,"  should  read  1873. 

Page  431.     Instead  of  "  Lucy  Farrer,"  read  Lucy  Farrar. 

Page  432.  "  Ebenezer  Sewell  Price,"  should  read  Ebenezer 
Sewall  Price. 

Page  437.  "  Stone,  Peter,  *  *  19  Dec,  1799,"  should  read 
11  Dec,  1799. 


CORRECTIONS.  XXIX 

Page  455.  '^  His  widow  married  Prof.  Guthrie,  of  Marietta 
college,"  should  read  JRev.  Geo.  H.  Wliipple.,  of  Oherlin. 

Page  462.  "  Jabez*  (Janies,^  William,^  George'^),"  should  read 
Jabez^  ( Thomas^  Thomas^  George}-). 

Page  604.  ''  Rev.  Zerah  H.  Hawley,"  should  read  Rev.  Z.  K. 
Ilaioley. 

Page  615.  After  "  Stone,  Frederic  P.,"  insert  m.  Lovilla  San- 
horn. 

Page  638.  Mills — "  one  near  the  residence  of  Joseph  Burpee," 
should  read  07i  Beaver-dam  hrooJc.  The  mill  near  Mr.  Burpee's 
was  not  erected  till  a  later  date,  by  Capt.  Abraham  Burhank. 
That  on  Beaver  dam  was  near  Salisbury  line,  and  was  owned  by 
Daniel  Pillsbury. 

Page  650.  Wolf— "shot  by  Samuel  Call,"  should  read  by 
Lemuel  Gall. 


HISTORY  OF  BOSOAWEN. 


CUA^j^  ^i^tt^ 


1729.] 


CIVIL  HISTORY. 


OHAPTEE    I. 

THE  PLANTATION  OF  CONTOOCOOK. 

^^HE  first  movement  for  the  settlement  of  the  territory  em- 
^S^  braced  in  the  present  towns  of  Boscawen  and  Webster  was 
inaugurated  in  1729,  by  citizens  of  Andover,  Bradford,  Reading,  and 
Woburn,  in  Massachusetts.  The  phantatiou  of  Penacook  (Concord) 
had  just  begun.  It  was  known  that  there  was  a  desirable  tract 
of  land  immediately  north  of  Penacook,  west  of  the  Merrimack. 
Many  of  the  citizens  of  Andover,  especially  the  Abbotts  and 
Ballards,  were  interested  in  the  Penacook  plantation,  and  took 
measures  to  secure  the  adjoining  tract.  The  first  meeting  was 
held  in  Andover,  Peb.  25,  1729,  at  the  house  of  Jeremiah  Bal- 
lard. James  Johnson  was  chosen  moderator,  and  Thomas  Abbot 
clerk.  At  an  adjourned  meeting,  held  March  18,  a  committee  was 
chosen  to  view  the  land.  The  committee  obtained  a  pilot,  visited 
the  locality,  and  reported  at  a  meeting  held  May  20th.  Pifty- 
three  citizens  of  Andover,  twenty-seven  from  Bradford,  t^venty 
from  Eeading  and  Woburn — one  hundred  in  all — signed  a  peti- 
tion to  the  Great  and  General  Court  for  the  granting  of  ''  Land 
Laying  on  Marymeck  Eever  Begining  at  Pennacuck  Upper  Line 
and  so  run  eight  mile  up  y^  Rever  and  Three  Mile  on  y^  Est  & 
Pour  Mile  on  y^  West  side  of  s*^  Eever."  The  petitioners  were 
unsuccessful  in  their  application.  A  possible  reason  for  their 
failure  may  have  been  the  fact  that  many  of  the  grantees  of  Pen- 
acook were  from  Andover,  and  the  members  of  the  General  Court 
may  have  thought  it  not  best  to  bestow  a  second  grant  upon  the 


2  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1732. 

citizens  of  that  town.  Other  towns  were  apjilying  for  grants. 
There  was  a  movement  in  all  the  sea-coast  towns  towards  the 
frontier  to  obtain  new  lands.  The  young  men  were  ready  to 
brave  the  dangers  and  hardships  of  frontier  life,  for  the  sake  of 
obtaining  lands  which  in  a  few  years  might  be  as  valuable  as  the 
old  homesteads.  Others,  who  were  more  advanced  in  life,  with 
children  growing  to  maturity,  were  ready  to  dispose  of  their 
farms  by  the  sea  to  obtain  the  fertile  lands  of  the  Merrimack 
valley,  where  their  sons  and  daughters  could  secure  their  future 
homes. 

But  how  happened  it  that  Massachusetts  exercised  jurisdiction 
over  the  lands  now  comprised  in  New  Hampshire  ?  A  complete 
answer  is  to  be  found  only  in  a  study  of  the  conflicting  claims  of 
Capt.  John  Mason,  Sir  Perdinando  Gorges,  the  Plymouth,  Massa- 
chusetts, and  Laconia  grants.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  Massachu- 
setts claimed  jurisdiction  of  all  lands  west  of  the  Merrimack,  and 
continued  its  exercise  of  authority  till  the  final  establishment,  by 
royal  commission  in  1740,  of  the  present  boundaries. 

NEWBURY    PETITIONERS. 

In  1732,  John  Coffin  and  eighty  other  citizens  of  Newbury  pe- 
titioned the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts  Bay  for  "  a  grant  of 
land,  situated  on  the  west  side  of  the  Merrimack,  adjoining  Pen- 
acook  plantation."  The  petition  was  duly  considered,  and  order 
issued  in  relation  to  a  survey  of  the  tract,  and  setting  forth  the 
conditions  of  the  grant  as  follows  : 

"  Ordered  that  there  be  and  hereby  is  granted  to  the  petitioners  a 
tract  of  land  seven  miles  square  at  the  place  petitioned  for  on  the  west 
side  of  Merrimack  river,  to  be  laid  out  by  a  surveyor  and  chain  men 
on  oath,  a  plan  thereof  to  be  presented  to  this  court  at  their  next  May 
session  for  confirmation.  The  lands  to  be  by  them  settled  on  the  con- 
ditions following  viz: 

"  That  within  the  space  of  four  years  from  the  confirmation  of  this 
plan  they  settle  and  have  on  the  spot  eighty-one  families,  each  settler 
to  build  a  convenient  dwelling  house,  one  story  high  eighteen  feet 
square  at  least,  and  fence  and  clear,  and  bring  to  four  acres  fit  for  im- 
provement and  three  acres  more  well  stocked  with  English  grass;  and 
also  lay  out  three  shares  throughout  the  town,  each  share  to  be  one 
eighty-fourth  part  of  said  tract  of  land,  one  of  said  shares  to  be  for 


1733.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  3 

the  first  settled  minister,  one  for  the  ministry,  and  one  for  school;  and 
also  to  build  a  convenient  meeting  house  and  settle  a  learned  and  or- 
thodox minister  within  the  time  aforesaid." 

The  order  was  issued  Dec.  8,  1732.  The  grantees  at  once  pro- 
ceeded to  locate  the  land. 

On  the  6th  of  June,  the  following  year,  the  plot  was  confirmed 
by  the  General  Court,  with  tlie  boundaries  thus  described, 

THE    GRANT. 

"  Province  of  Massachusetts  Bay  : 
''  A  plot  of  township  of  land  granted  at  [by]  the  Court  to  John 
Coffin  and  others  lying  on  Merrimack  river  above  Penacook,  surveyed 
by  Kichard  Hazen  and  two  chainmen  on  oath  being  bounded  as  follows: 
viz ; — beginning  at  the  middle  of  Contoocook  river,  where  it  empties 
into  the  Merrimack,  where  it  joins  the  Penacook  Plantation,  thence 
running  west  15°  South  adjoining  Penacook  line,  four  miles  to  a  white 
pine  tree,  marked  for  Penacook  corner  bound;  thence  further  on  the 
same  line  three  miles  and  eight  poles  to  a  Norway  pine  marked  for  the 
corner  bounds;  thence  turned  at  eight  angles  and  running  North  15° 
west  seven  miles  and  eight  poles  to  a  crotched  white  birch  lettered  and 
standing  on  the  south  east  side  of  a  hill  which  is  the  Northwest  corner; 
thence  turned  at  right  angles  and  run  east  15  deg  north,  near  seven 
miles  and  a  half  to  a  white  oak  and  two  white  pines  marked,  by  Merri- 
mack river,  and  by  said  river  as  it  runs  to  Contoocook  river  to  the 
place  where  it  first  began. 

"In  the  House  of  Representatives,  Read,  and  voted  that  this  plot  be 
accepted;  and  that  the  lands  within  delineated  and  described  be  and 
hereby  are  confirmed  to  the  within  named  John  Coffin,  Joseph  Dole 
and  other  petitioners  their  heirs  and  assigns  forever,  they  complying 
with  the  orders  and  conditions  in  the  grant  on  their  petition  in  De- 
cember last,  provided  this  plot  does  not  contain  more  than  the  contents 
of  seven  miles  square  nor  interfere  with  any  other  former  grant. 

"  Consented  to, 

"  J.  Bklcher. 
"A  true  copy,  as  among  the  proceedings  of  the  general  court  on  the 
6th  of  June  1733,  p.  394. 

"  Attest  Alden  Bradford 

"  Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth." 

THE    FIRST    MEETING    OF    THE     PROPRIETORS. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  proprietors  was  called  by  John  Coffin, 
and  was  held  at  the  house  of  Archelaus  Adams,  in  Newbury,  on 
the  2'!  of  May,  1733. 


4  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1733. 

"  Meeting  May  y"  2. 

*'  The  proprietors  as  grantees  of  the  plantation  lately  made  & 
granted  by  the  great  and  General  Court  of  his  Majestys  province  of  the 
Massachusetts  bay  in  New  England  of  a  tract  of  land  seven  miles 
square  above  Penecook  on  the  west  side  of  Merrimack  river,  John  Cof- 
fin by  virtue  of  an  order  to  him  directed  from  the  above  said  great  and 
General  Court  did  warn  and  give  Notice  to  ye  grantees  of  the  above 
said  plantation  to  assemble  and  meet  at  the  bouse  of  Mr  Arclielaus 
Adams  in  Newbury  to  chuse  a  moderator  and  clerk  and  to  make  such 
needful  orders  and  rules  as  may  be  propper  and  needful  to  bring  for- 
ward the  settlement  of  said  plantation  according  to  ye  said  courts  di- 
rections; and  according  to  said  warning  we  met  at  said  Adams  house 
on  the  2  day  of  May  1733. 

"  Lieut  George  little  was  chosen  moderator  for  said  meeting. 

"Joseph  CofBn  was  chosen  clerk  for  the  above  s'^  Grantees  and  was 
sworn  then  to  the  faithfull  discharge  of  his  office  by  richard  Kent  jus- 
tice of  the  peace. 

"  Joseph  Gerrish  Esq,  "William  Tlsly,  John  Coffin,  Joshua  Noyes,  & 
Tristram  little,  were  chosen  a  committee  to  take  a  plan  of  the  planta- 
tion aforesaid  &  make  return  of  their  doings  to  the  above  s'l  great 
and  general  Court  and  the  committee  were  all  so  impowered  to  warn 
a  meeting  of  s'^  grantees  as  they  should  judge  needful. 

"  Mr  Daniel  Hale  was   chosen  treasurer  for  said  proprietors. 

"  Mr  John  Weed  was  chosen  collector  for  said  proprietors. 

^'' Voted  that  the  proprietors  of  the  aforesaid  plantation  shall  pay 
five  pounds  a  piece  towards  the  laying  out  and  settling  the  aforesaid 
plantation  &c.  This  was  put  to  vote  by  the  moderator  &  it  passed  on 
the  affirmative. 

Voted  that  the  aforesaid  committee  (viz)  Joseph  Gerrish  Esq,  Will- 
iam Ilsley,  John  Coffin,  Tristram  Little,  Joseph  Noyes  shall  have  power 
to  draw  the  money  from  Mr  Daniel  Hale  aforesaid  Treasurer  to  pay 
the  necessary  charges  that  the  said  proprietors  shall  be  at  in  bringing 
forward  the  settlement  of  said  plantation  this  put  to  vote  by  the  mod- 
erator and  passed  on  the  affirmative." 

WHAT    WAS    KNOWN    IN    REGARD    TO    THE    LAND. 

The  Merrimack  valley  was  well  known.  As  earl}^  as  1628,  a 
century  previous,  an  exploring  party  was  sent  out  by  Massachu- 
setts to  discover  the  source  of  the  Merrimack,  which  ascended  to 
Penacook,  if  not  farther.  In  1652,  the  General  Court  of  Massachu- 
setts ordered  a  survey  of  the  northern  boundary  of  the  colou3\ 
The  survey  was  conducted  by  Edward  Johnson  and  Simon  Wil- 


1733.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  6 

lard,  commissioners,  and  John  Sherman,  of  Watertown,  and  Jona- 
than Ince,  of  Cambridge,  surveyors,  with  Indian  guides.  They 
ascended  the  Merrimack  river  to  Lake  Winnipesaukee.  John 
Endicott  was  at  that  time  governor  of  Massachusetts.  The  com- 
missioners left  a  record  of  their  visit  upon  a  large  rock  at  the 
outlet  of  the  lake.  The  inscription  was  discovered  in  1834,  and 
is  as  follows : 

EI  SW 

W  P  I  0  H  N 

ENDIC VT 

GOV 

At  that  period  one  character  represented  the  letters  I  and  J. 
V  and  U  were  also  represented  by  one  character.  The  inscrip- 
tion therefore  represents  the  initials  of  the  commissioners, 
Edward  Johnson  and  Simon  WiUard,  and  also  Worshipful  John 
Endicott. 

The  party  ascended  the  Merrimack  in  a  "  bote,"  and  were  ab- 
sent nineteen  days.     The  expense  of  the  expedition  was  £84. 

A  few  years  later,  Richard  Waldron,  of  Dover,  traded  with  the 
Indians  in  the  vicinity  of  Penacook.  In  1675,  at  the  time  of 
King  Phillip's  war,  Capt.  Mosely,  with  about  one  hundred  men, 
ascended  the  Merrimack  to  keep  the  Penacooks  quiet.  In  1668, 
Mr.  Thomas  Hinksman,  with  others,  under  a  warrant  from  Gov. 
Bellingham,  ascended  the  river  to  Waldron's  trading-house,  which 
stood  on  the  east  side  of  the  Merrimack,  in  Concord,  to  capture  an 
Indian  who  had  killed  a  white  man. 

The  first  historic  event  within  the  limits  of  Boscawen  was  the 
killing  of  the  Indians,  in  1697,  by  Mrs.  Hannah  Duston,  Mrs.  Mary 
Neff,  and  Samuel  Lannardson. 

MRS.  DUSTOI^'S    EXPLOIT. 

On  March  15,  of  that  year,  a  party  of  twenty  Indians  made  a 
descent  upon  Haverhill.  The  first  house  attacked  was  that  of 
Thomas  Duston,  who  was  at  work  in  his  field.  Hearing  the  war- 
whoop  of  the  Indians,  he  ran  into  the  house,  and  ordered  his 
children,  seven  in  number,  to  flee.  Mrs.  Duston  was  sick,  having 
given  birth  to  a  child  the  week  previous.     She  was  attended  by 


6  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1733. 

Maiy  Neff,  a  woman  in  middle  life.  Finding  it  impossible  to 
remove  his  wife  and  infant,  he  left  them  with  the  nnrse,  monnted 
his  horse,  and  overtook  his  children.  His  first  thought  was,  to 
take  two  or  three  of  them  on  his  horse,  and  leave  the  others  to 
their  fate.  But  he  could  make  no  choice  where  all  were  equally 
dear,  and  resolved  to  do  wha.t  he  could  to  save  them  all.  Dis- 
mounting from  his  horse,  standing  behind  the  animal,  or  shelter- 
ing himself  behind  a  tree,  firing  with  deliberate  aim,  he  kept  the 
j)ursuers  at  bay  while  the  children  ran ;  then  springing  uj)on  the 
back  of  the  horse,  hastened  to  overtake  his  family,  with  the  bul- 
lets of  the  savages  flying  past  him.  Upon  overtaking  them  he 
dismounted  once  more,  loaded  his  gun,  and  awaited  the  approach 
of  the  enemy,  who  were  exceedingly  wary  in  their  advance,  skulk- 
ing behind  trees.  Again  he  fired,  and  then  galloped  away, — thus 
defending  the  children  till  they  reached  a  place  of  safety. 

A  portion  only  of  the  Indians  followed  Mr.  Duston ;  the  others 
entered  the  house,  took  Mrs.  Duston  and  Mrs.  Neff  prisoners, 
dashed  out  the  brains  of  the  infant  against  a  tree,  and  fired  the 
house. 

Nine  other  houses  were  set  on  fire,  twenty-seven  pei'sons  killed, 
and  eleven,  besides  Mrs.  Duston  and  Mrs.  iSTeff,  Avere  captured. 
It  was  the  middle  of  March.  In  the  woods  there  was  still  much 
snow;  the  streams  were  swollen  Avith  its  melting;  and  yet,  with  but 
one  shoe,  Mrs.  Duston  was  driven  at  a  quick  pace  by  the  savages. 
Her  feet  were  torn,  her  steps  marked  with  blood.  Soon  her  fel- 
low captives  began  to  tire ;  but  as  soon  as  they  lagged  behind,  a 
tomahawk  was  buried  in  their  skulls,  the  scalping-knif  e  encircled 
their  brows,  and  their  bodies  were  left  by  the  way. 

The  route  taken  by  the  Indians  was  up  the  valley  of  the  Mer- 
rimack, to  their  canoes.  It  is  not  known  where  the  Indians  had 
deposited  them ;  but  the  liardships  of  the  march  were  so  great, 
that,  before  reaching  them,  all  the  Haverhill  captives,  except  Mrs. 
Duston  and  Mrs.  Neff,  had  perished.  They  found  a  boy,  Samuel 
Lannardson,  of  Worcester,  who  had  been  more  than  a  year  in 
their  hands,  still  a  captive.  He  had  acquired  the  Indian  language. 
It  is  probable  that  on  the  third  day  the  Indians  reached  their 
general  rendezvous — the  island  at  the  junction  of  the  Merrimack 
and  Contoocook,  a  favorite  resort ;  for  at  the  falls  of  Contoocook, 
near  by,  they  could  supply  themselves  with  salmon,  while  the 


1733.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  7 

open  spaces  on  the  intervale,  opposite  "  Mucliyecln,"  were  favorite 
feeding-grounds  for  deer. 

It  appears  that  after  leaving  their  captives  on  tlie  island,  the 
Indians,  with  the  exception  of  twelve,  departed  on  a  second  ma- 
rauding expedition.  The  thought  of  being  carried  a  captive  to 
Canada,  of  enduring  the  hardships  of  the  march,  of  the  almost 
certain  fate  that  would  await  her,  aroused  all  the  heroic  nature 
of  the  woman  who  had  seen  her  child's  brains  dashed  out  against 
a  tree.  Death  would  be  preferable  to  life.  She  would  strike 
boldly  for  life  and  liberty.  She  laid  her  plan  with  deliberation. 
"Ask  them  where  they  strike  when  they  want  to  kill  a  person 
instantly,"  said  Mrs.  Duston  to  the  boy  Lannardson.  "  Strike 
'em  here,"  said  one  of  the  savages,  in  answer  to  the  question 
artlessly  put  by  the  lad.  The  Indian  placed  his  finger  on  his 
temple.  Little  did  he  think  that  his  own  hatchet  would  be  bur- 
ied in  his  own  skull  by  the  keen-eyed  woman  who  was  watching 
his  ever}'-  movement.  Then  the  savage  showed  the  boy  how  to 
run  a  knife  around  a  person's  head,  and  hoAV  to  strip  off  the 
scalp :  all  of  which  the  resolute  woman  noticed.  She  informs 
Mrs.  Neff  and  the  boy  of  her  plot,  stimulates  them  by  her  heroic 
courage.  Night  comes.  There  are  two  men,  three  women,  and 
seven  children,  all  of  them  asleep.  No  one  keeps  watch  of  the 
captives.  There  is  no  danger  of  their  attempting  to  escape.  The 
birch  canoes  are  drawn  up  beneath  the  alders.  The  three  captives 
rise  softly.  Each  seizes  a  tomahawk.  Mrs.  Duston  and  Mrs.  Neff 
stand  over  the  prostrate  forms  of  the  men.  A  signal,  and  the 
hatchets  descend  with  almost  superhuman  strength,  crushing 
through  the  skulls ;  and  then  the  women  and  children  are  dis- 
patched, all  except  two,  who  escape  in  the  darkness.  The  pris- 
oners— ^prisoners  no  longer — gather  up  the  provisions,  take  the 
guns  of  the  Indians,  scuttle  all  except  one  canoe,  and  take  their 
departure  down  the  Merrimack.  A  thought  comes  to  the  heroic 
woman.  Will  their  friends  believe  them  when  they  inform  them 
that  they  have  killed  the  Indians  ?  She  will  have  indisputable 
evidence.  A  few  strokes  of  the  paddles  bring  them  to  the  island. 
She  runs  the  scalping-knife  around  the  brows  of  the  Indians, 
takes  their  scalps,  and  then  starting  once  more,  guides  the  canoe 
over  the  rippling  waters  at  Sewall's  falls,  then  floating  on  calmer 
waters  to  Garvin's,  steering  the  bark  canoe  in  safety  down  the 


8  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1733. 

rapids,  landing  and  carrying  it  when  they  dare  not  trust  them- 
selves amid  the  whirlpools  and  sunken  rocks,  reaching  Haverhill 
with  her  bloody  trophies,  to  the  astonishment  of  her  friends. 

The  General  Court  of  Massachusetts  voted  her  a  present  of  fifty 
pounds,  and  many  private  citizens  also  presented  her  with  testi- 
monials of  their  appreciation  of  her  heroic  conduct. 

Penacook  was  granted  in  172G,  and  settled  in  1727.  The  fer- 
tile lands  of  Contooeook  were  well  known  to  the  people  of  the 
lower  towns. 

FIRST    SURVEY. 

Mr.  Eichard  Hazen,  an  experienced  surveyor,  who  had  been 
employed  by  the  proprietors  of  Penacook  to  survey  that  planta- 
tion, was  engaged  to  make  the  first  survey  of  Contooeook.  The 
original  plot,  as  laid  by  him,  is  on  file  in  the  archives  of  the  sec- 
retary of  state,  Boston. 

proprietors'  meeting. 

A  meeting  of  the  proprietors  was  held  July  4  at  John  Man- 
cher's  tavern,  Newbury  : 

"  Voted  Mr  Richard  Hazen  surveyor,  shall  have  ten  pounds  for  his 
service  for  taking  a  plan  of  the  plantation  &  the  three  clianmen  that 
were  with  said  surveyors,  six  days  a  pice,  shall  have  six  &  thirty 
shillings  a  man  for  their  service  in  assisting  him,  the  said  surveyor,  this 
put  to  vote  &  passed  in  the  affirmative 

^^  Voted  that  the  committee  namely  Joseph  Gerrish,  William  Ilsley, 
John  Coffin,  Tristram  Little  &  Joseph  Noyes,  they  being  nine  days 
with  Mr  Hazen  in  taking  a  plan  of  the  aforesaid  plantation  shall 
have  ten  shillings  a  day  each  man  for  their  service,  this  jjut  to  vote  by 
the  moderator  &  passed  on  the  ffirmative. 

*'  Col  Joseph  Gerrish,  Lieut  William  Ilsley,  Benj™  Pettengill,  Daniel 
Pierce  &  John  Weed  jr  were  chosen  a  committee  to  lay  out  the  home 
lots  so  called  in  the  above  tract  of  land  put  to  vote  &  passed  on  the 
affirmative 

"  That  the  aforesaid  Committee  chosen  to  lay  out  the  home  lots  so 
called  shall  have  power  to  lay  out  said  lots  &  intervale  lot  to  shares 
alike  in  quantity  &  Quality  according  to  the  best  skill  and  judgment 
leaving  a  couveniency  for  highways  &  private  ways  this  put  to  vote  by 
the  moderator  &  passed  on  the  affirmative. 


-^  "i"  ^1 '  r     , ,  ,     ^'^  ^t 


*vr.  Ci^  ^^>^  ^#:^-^.l 


^>^':y 


DUSTIN,  NEFF.  AND  LEONARDSON 


1733.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  9 

'''•Voted  that  the  men  that  Col  Gerrish  shall  or  have  admitted  into  our 
society  may  as  he  and  they  can  agree  draw  tlieir  lots  with  iis  this  put 
to  vote  by  the  moderator  and  passed  on  the  affirmative." 

October  9th. 

A  meeting  was  held  on  this  daj^  at  the  house  of  Archelaus 
Adams  in  Newbury,  at  which  John  Coffin  was  added  to  the 
committee  to  lay  out  the  home  lots.  The  associates  admitted 
by  Col.  Gerrish  were  accepted  at  that  meeting, — viz.,  Col.  John 
Alden,  Samuel  Beadford,  James  Alden,  John  Choat,  Benjamin 
Bird,  Ebenezer  Burrill,  Esq.,  Jeremiah  Getchell,  John  Wain- 
wright,  Esq.,  Richard  Kent,  Esq.,  John  Chandler,  Junior,  Esq., 
Lieut.  Moses  Gerrish,  Joseph  Gerrish,  Esq.,  Kichard  Hubbard, 
Mr.  Edward  Shove,  Mr.  Henry  Sewall,  of  Boston,  Richard  Coffin, 
Benjamin  Pettingill,  John  Akers,  Daniel  Dole. 

The  proprietors  at  this  meeting  took  measures  to  laj'  out  the 
village,  or  "  town  "  as  it  was  called  : 

''Voted:  That  these  six  men,  namely,  Moses  Gerrish,  Daniel  Hale, 
Joseph  Lunt,  Jonathan  Poor,  Thomas  Torla  &  Edward  Emery  may  go 
up  to  Contoocook  with  the  other  Com'*  &  have  the  power  to  advise  & 
consult  as  the  other  committee  men  have  &  the  major  part  of  them 
shall  set  the  town  where  they  shall  Judge  most  convenient  &  these  six 
men  shall  have  twenty  shillings  a  pice  for  their  services." 

'■'■Voted,  that  any  man  or  men  belonging  to  the  society  aforesaid  see 
cause  to  go  to  the  said  plantation  on  their  own  cost  &  charge  they  shall 
have  power  to  advise  with  the  committee  in  order  to  the  setting  of  the 
town  to  the  best  advantage." 

The  money  in  use  at  that  time  was  undoubtedly  the  old  curren.- 
cy  of  Massachusetts  Bay.  Each  colony  had  its  currency,  its  notes 
or  bills  of  credit.  As  nearly  as  can  be  ascertained,  the  pound  of 
Massachusetts  at  that  time  was  worth  about  one  dollar  and  thirty 
cents,  and  a  shilling  not  far  from  six  and  one  fourth  cents  of  the 
present  currency  of  the  United  States. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  proprietors,  held  Nov.  20th,  it  was  voted 
that  Henry  Eolfe  draw  lots  for  the  proprietors.  Five  shillings 
was  raised  on  each  original  right,  to  defray  expenses.  It  was 
voted  that  all  the  intervale  should  be  fenced  in,  the  next  spring,  at 
the  proprietors'  cost.  Thomas  Thorla,  John  Coffin,  and  Jonathan 
Ilsley  were  appointed  a  committee  to  see  that  the  fencing  was 
seasonably  completed. 


10  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1733. 

Tlie  committee  for  dividing  tlie  lands  reported  : 
"  They  have  laid  out  five  farms  on  the  northerly  side  of  Coutoocook, 
&  the  whole  of  said  five  farms  are  in  breadth  one  hundred  &  seven 
rods  two  feet  &  five  inches,  running  from  the  river  Merrimack,  unto 
the  westerly  end  on  line  of  s''  tract  of  land  which  is  seven  mile  back 
from  said  river  and  also  four  farms  on  the  southerly  side  of  s'^  tract  of 
land  &  the  whole  of  said  four  farms  are  in  breadth  eighty  six  rods 
&  running  from  Merrimack  river  to  the  westerly  side  of  said  tract  of 
land  which  is  seven  miles  from  said  river  and  the  above  said  nine  farms 
are  for  these  gentlemen  here  under  named,  (viz) 

Ebenezer  Burrell  Esq  ;  John  Wainright  Esqr  ;  Kichard  Kent  Esqr ; 
M'  Sanii  Beadford  ;  John  Chote  Esqr ;  Mr  Edward  Shove,  M-"  Beuja. 
Bird,  Mr  Jeremiah  Gatchel,  Mr  Richard  Hubbard" 

THE    GEXTLEMEX'S  FARMS. 

The  tract  of  land  thus  set  off  to  these  nine  gentlemen  amounted 
to  twenty-seven  hundred  acres,  or  three  hundred  acres  to  each  in- 
dividual. The  lots  have  always  been  known  as  "  the  gentlemen's 
farms."  When  we  turn  to  the  records  of  the  Great  and  General 
Court  of  Massachusetts  for  the  period,  we  find  that  Mr.  John 
Wainwright  was  clerk  of  the  General  Court  in  1731.  He  was  well 
acquainted  with  legislative  affairs,  and  doubtless  Avas  able  to  aid 
the  petitioners  for  grants  of  land — for  a  consideration.  His  name 
appears  as  a  proprietor  in  many  of  the  tow^ns  granted  at  this 
period.  The  other  "  gentlemen "  wdio  aided  and  assisted  were 
members  of  the  General  Court,  wdiich  consisted  of  the  Assembly 
and  Council.  John  Chandler  was  a  member  of  the  Assembly. 
There  was  a  lot  of  land,  containing  about  five  hundred  acres,  set 
off  to  him  by  the  proprietors  of  Contoocook.  The  tract  was  one 
hundred  and  fifty  rods  wide,  and  extended  from  the  INIerrimack 
westward  two  miles.  The  Stirrup  Iron  brook  ran  through  it.  The 
name  of  John  Chandler  appears  in  nearly  every  township  granted 
while  he  was  a  member.  But  one  conclusion  can  be  drawn, — that 
the  members  of  the  General  Court  were,  to  use  a  modern  phrase, 
"land-grabbers,"  and  made  use  of  the  official  position  to  advance 
their  individual  interests. 

All  of  the  gentlemen  who  thus  received  large  tracts  of  land 
were  in  some  way  connected  with  the  government ; — nor  was  it 
considered  a   breach    of   trust    thus  to  advance  their  individual 


1733.]  CIVIL    HISTORY. 


11 


interests.  Such  gifts  were  the  perquisites  of  office,  well  understood, 
acknowledged,  and  acquiesced  in  by  the  entire  community. 
No  disgrace  attached  to  a  man  who  used  his  official  position  for 
his  own  interests.  No  investigating  committees  were  appointed 
to  inquire  into  such  transactions.  In  later  years.  Gov.  Benning 
Wentworth  became  one  of  the  largest  landed  proprietors  of  the 
country,  through  the  "  gifts,"  or,  to  use  a  truer  term,  through  the 
exactions  which  he  imposed  upon  grantees  upon  signing  the 
grants. 

In  October,  Mr.  John  Brown,  surveyor,  was  employed  to  survey 
the  intervale,  which,  being  partially  free  from  trees,  furnished 
valuable  mowing,  pasture,  and  tillage  lands.  A  lot  was  laid  out 
to  each  proprietor.  He  laid  out  four  streets  on  the  high  land, 
upon  the  site  selected  for  the  town— King,  Queen,  Newbury,  and 
Marlborough — with  a  house-lot  for  each  proprietor,  a  lot  for  the 
church,  one  for  the  school,  and  one  for  the  minister. 

The  proprietors  manifested  their  loyalty  to  their  sovereign  by 
naming  two  of  the  streets  for  the  king  and  queen,  one  for  their 
home,  Newbury,  and  one  for  the  great  Duke  of  Marlborough, 
then  in  the  zenith  of  his  fame. 

MR.  brown's    journal. 

"  Oct  23d  1733.  I  set  out  for  Contoocook  with  the  committee  who 
were  to  lay  out  ye  Intervale  &  home  lotts,  who  were  Col  Gerrish,  W'" 
Ilsley,  Benj^  Pettengale  &  Dan^  Peirce  and  also  David  Hale  &  Benj'' 
Willet,  this  proving  a  rainy  day  &  setting  out  late  we  got  no  farther 
than 

2i  "  Being  rainy  we  came  to  Pennycook. 

25  "  We  came  to  Contoocook  &  viewed  ye  land  in  order  to  find  a 
place  to  settle  ye  Town  ;  there  came  also  with  us  George  &  Puchard 
Jackraan. 

26.  "  We  run  lines  between  the  Intervale  &  upland:  this  day  came  up 
Mr  Moses  Gerrish. 

27  "  We  viewed  ye  place  to  set  ye  Meeting  House  on  &  Eun  out  ye 
Highway  to  Lay  Lotts  on.  Gerrish  &  Emery  went  Home.  Ye  rest 
■went  to  Pennycook  settlement  except  Pierce  &  Myself. 

"  Oct  26  being  friday  we  measured  up  from  Pennycook  line  98  rods 
for  4  Lotts  &  one  halfe  to  be  left  there  from  whence  we  had  to  the  river 
62  rods  E  15  North.     Tlieuce  between  the  upland  &  intervale  we  Laid 


12 


CIVIL  HISTORY. 


[1733. 


a  "Way  running  North  29  W  57  rods  and  on  Said  "Way  from  the  98  rods 
are  laid  the  foUowins:  Letts  "V"iz: 


No  60 
61 
62 
63 
64 


which  are  in 
width  on  sd 
way  running 
No  29  Deg  West 


&  in  Length 
running  down 
in  to  ye  Intervale 
East  15  Deg  No 
62  rods 


On  the  upper  Line  of  64"^  Lott  is  a  way  of  one  rod  broad  &  on  the 
end  of  the  sd  Lott  &  partly  on  the  lower  end  of  the  Q3'^  until  it  comes 
to  the  76">  Lott. 

No 


65 

are    in    width 

12 

&  in  length  running 

66 

on     a     way 

12 

E  15  D  N  to  the  78 

67 

running  north 
1  D  West 

12 

Lott  62  rods" 

THE    HOME    AND    IXTERVALE    LOTS. 

[From  Surveyor  Brown's  Book.] 

**  An  account  of  the  draft  of  the  Intervale  and  home  lots  at  Con- 
toocook  which  are  as  hereunder  written, 


Intervale. 

home  lots 

No 

51 

53 

73 

79 

72 

77 

70 

70 

69 

83 

52 

49 

82 

22 

44 

57 

47 

42 

71 

86 

58 

54 

42 

52 

67 

84 

67 

40 

48 

38 

21 

2 

61 

75 

62 

82 

27 

7 

20 

01 

33 

41 

76 

69 

93 

96 

89 

29 

80 

20 

29 

93 

Abraham  Adams  jr No 

Stephen  Jaques 

Joseph  Coffin 

Robert  Greenough 

Joseph  Moss  jr 

Benja  J>unt 

John  Akers 

Daniel  Richards 

Daniel  Dole 

John  Chandler  Esq 

Joseph  Tappan 

William  Ilsley 

Jolin  Adams •. 

John  Alden 

Joseph  Knight  Jr 

James  Mitchel 

Stephen  Moody 

Benja  Petengill 

Riciiard  Jackman 

Richard  Greenough 

Cornelas  Wood 

Joseph  Moss  3^^ 

Henry  Sewell 

John  Webster 

Joseph  Gerrish  Esq 

Sam'  Bailey , 


1733.] 


CIVIL 


Benja  Smith No 

Robert  Adams 

Richard  Kelly 

Samuel  Gerrish 

John  French  Jr 

Joseph  Jackman 

Nicholas   Cheaay 

Joseph  Willet 

Jacob  Noyes 

John  Poor 

Stephen  Dole 

Moses  Smith 

Cutting  Lunt 

Jonathan  Plumer 

Thomas  Pierce 

,.Archelaus  Woodman 

John  Smith 

Isaac  Hall 

Edward  Emery 

Willoby  Favor 

Jacob  Pillsbury 

Stephen  Emery 

Amos  Stickney 

George  Jackman 

Jonathan  Sampson 

Richard  Petengill 

Moses   Gerrish 

Joseph  Dole 

John  Plumer  jr 

Elezar  Pierce 

Daniel  Pierce 

Theodor  Coker 

Joseph  Gerrish 

Richard  Coffin 

James  Allen 

William  Ripp 

Abraham  Titcomb 

John  Coffin 

John  Waight 

William  Moody 

John  Moody  jr 

Moses  Knight 

Daniel  Coffin 

Daniel  Knight 

Moses  Coker 

Edmund  Greenlief 

Daniel  Hale 

Henry  Kingsbury 

Nathan  Whelar 

Joshua  Pillsbury 

Thomas  Woodbridge 


HISTORY. 

Intervale. 

i3 

home  lots. 

No 

39 
81 
7i 
85 
78 
16 
06 
31 
91 
68 
19 
60 
88 
40 
87 
31 
02 
23 
86 
01 
11 
32 
83 
53 
95 
14 
15 
84 
55 
43 
73 
36 
59 
08 
03 
90 
94 
09 
12 
92 
17 
45 
18 
79 
77 
04 
28 
22 
10 
07 
63 

No 
31 

21 

78 

25 

81 

65 

61 

34 

88 

71 

15 

76 

28 

50 

27 

95 

09 

59 

26 

08 

18 

40 

23 

32 

14 

66 

16 

46 

33 

55 

87 

35 

56 

62 

10 

30 

91 

13 

67 

89 

64 

58 

63 

19 

80 

11 

92 

03 

68 

12 

74 

14 


CIVIL    HISTORY. 


[1733. 


Josej^h  Noyes  3'^ No 

James  INIorrill 

James  Xoyes 

Thomas  Webster 

Joshua  Hale ■ . 

William  Atkins 

George  Little 

Jonathan  Ilsley 

Richard  Hale 

Sam'  Sweatt  jr 

Tristraum  Little 

John  Noyes  S'^ 

John  Weed  j  r 

Sam'  Little 


Intervale. 

home  lots. 

No 

38 

36 

13 

77 

37 

45 

05 

60 

49 

43 

65 

73 

30 

94 

84 

24 

50 

37 

41 

51 

66 

47 

64 

83 

5 

48 

46 

39 

"  The  aforesaid  list  was  returned  into  the  proprietors  of  Contoocook 
at  their  meeting  on  Nov  the  twentieth  1733,  and  was  then  excepted 
and  ordered  to  be  recorded. 

Joseph  Gerrisii  "] 

William  Ilsley 


> 


johx  coffix 
John  Weed  jr 
Benjamin  Pettengill 
Daniel  Pierce 

Committeemen. 


"Joseph  Coffin 

Proprietors  Clerk" 


J1  c^-  c  N c  a-C^     %  -cttc  l^n 


1731.] 


CHAPTEE    II. 

SETTLEMENT  OF  CONTOOCOOK. 

IflSr  the  spring  of  1734,  tlie  proprietors  of  Contoocook  made  prep- 
^1  aration  to  comply  with  the  conditions  of  tlieir  grant.  Those 
intending  to  settle  in  the  plantation  left  their  homes  in  April. 
The  route  was  from  Newbury  to  Haverhill,  or  Hampstead  to  Nut- 
field  (Derry),  thence  to  Amoskeag  falls,  and  from  thence,  by  tlie 
east  side  of  the  Merrimack,  to  Penacook  ferry,  which  had  been 
established  1731.  [Hist.  Concord,  p.  101.]  Another  route,  lead- 
ing from  Newbury  to  Chester,  thence  to  Pembroke,  had  been 
blazed  through  the  woods  in  1726,  but  the  road  through  Derry 
was  the  one  most  travelled. 

FIRST    SETTLERS. 

During  the  year,  thirty-three  settlers  came  to  Contoocook,  to  be- 
gin, as  it  were,  life  anew  in  the  wilderness.  Eev.  Mr.  Price  has 
handed  down  the  names  of  twenty-seven  only ;  but  from  a  deposi- 
tion made  by  Moses  Burbank  in  1792  [Col.  Henry  Gerrish's  pa- 
pers] the  number  is  stated  as  being  thirty-three. 

Barker,  David  Dagodon,  William 

Bean,  Sinkler  Danforth,  William 

Bowen,  John  Danforth,  Nathaniel 

Bishop,  Josiali  Eastman,  Joseph 

Bohonnon,  Andrew  Emery,  Edward 

Burbank,  Moses  Fitzgerald,  Edward 

Call,  Philip  Elanders,  Jacob 

Cook,  Thomas  Elood,  Richard 

Corser,  John  Eowler,  John 


16 


CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1731. 


Gerrish,  Stephen  Meloon,  Nathaniel 

Gould,  Ambrose  Peters,  William 

Jaekman,  Eichard  Eix,  Nathaniel 

Jackman,  George  Rolfe,  Daniel. 

Manuel,  Joel 
In  imagination  we  see  them  toiling  through  the  forest,  follo\y- 
ing  the  rude  path  from  Nutfield  (Derry)  up  to  Suncook,  across 
the    "  dark   plains "    in    Concord,    crossing   the    Merrimack   just 
above  the  mouth  of  the  Contoocook. 

Upon  the  intervale  are  open  spaces  where  the  grass  grows  lux- 
uriantly, but  everywhere  else  tliey  behold  an  unbroken  forest. 

Ascending  the  high  bank,  they  come  to  the  blazed  lines  where 
John  Brown  has  laid  out  the  new  town.  There  is  no  house  to 
shelter  them.  The  first  nights  they  spend  beneath  the  shelter  of 
the  trees.  They  select  the  sites  for  their  log  houses.  The  forest 
resounds  with  the  sturdy  strokes  of  their  axes.  They  have  a  single 
plow,  owned  b}'-  Stephen  Gerrish.  The  oxen  are  yoked  to  it,  and 
the  virgin  soil  of  the  intervale,  which  has  lain  undisturbed  since 
the  morning  of  creation,  is  turned  to  the  sun.  Ere  many  days 
have  passed,  each  man  has  a  cabin  built  of  logs,  covered  with  bark, 
or  with  long  shingles  rived  from  some  giant  pine. 

During  the  first  season  the^^  must  subsist  upon  provisions 
brought  on  horseback,  or  on  their  own  backs,  from  Newbury,  save 
that  now  and  tlien  their  trusty  rifles  bring  down  a  deer.  During 
the  spring  and  summer  months  they  can  add  to  their  stock  of  pro- 
visions by  spearing  salmon  in  the  river,  and  there  is  a  plentiful 
supply  of  pickerel,  horned  pouts,  and  perch  in  the  river  and  ponds, 
while  the  brooks  are  alive  with  trout.  The  days  are  long  and 
wearisome.  They  work  early  and  late,  suffer  many  privations  and 
hardships  ;  but  they  are  rearing  their  future  homes,  and  the  hard- 
ships are  forgotten  in  anticipation  of  better  days. 

It  is  not  probable  that  many  of  the  settlers'  families  came  in 
the  spring,  but  most,  if  not  all,  were  there  before  the  close  of  the 
year. 

proprietors'  meeting. 

Nov.  8.  A  meeting  of  the  proprietors  was  held  at  the  house  of 
Archelaus  Adams  in  Newbury.  It  was  voted  that  a  saw-mill 
should  be  built  at  the  charge  of  the  proprietors,  and  Daniel  Hale, 


1734.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  17 

Joseph  Gerrisli,  and  Thomas  Tliorla,  weve  chosen  a  committee  to 
attend  to  the  matter.  The  same  committee  was  empowered  to 
rectify  any  mistake  made  in  the  laying  out  of  lots,  and  John 
Brown,  the  surveyor,  was  engaged  to  go  to  Contoocook  to  show 
the  proprietors  the  location  of  the  lots. 

Five  of  the  proprietors, — Joseph  Lunt,  John  Coffin,  Thomas 

Tliorla,  Benjamin  Lunt,  Benjamin  Coker,  and  Edward  Emery, 

entered  their  dissent  in  regard  to  the  power  of  the  committee. 

Dec.  18,  another  meeting  was  held.  It  was  voted  that  the  intervale 
should  be  fenced  by  the  fifteenth  of  May  of  the  following  year,  at 
the  expense  of  the  owners  of  the  lots,  and  any  proprietor  neglect- 
ing to  build  his  j^roportion  should  make  satisfaction.  It  was  also 
voted  that  Joseph  Tappan  should  obtain  a  grindstone  for  the  com- 
mon use  of  the  proprietors. 

At  this  meeting  further  action  was  taken  towards  buildin"-  a 
saw-mill. 

[From  the  Records.] 

"  It  was  put  to  vote  by  the  moderator  where  [whether]  there  should  be 
a  grant  of  [land]  made  to  those  men  hereafter  named,  of  the  little  stream 
[Mill  brook]  at  Contoocook  near  the  upper  end  of  the  lots  or  town, 
and  fifty  acres  of  land  laid  square  adjoining  to  the  mill  for  commencing 
thereof  on  both  sides  of  the  stream  and  also  one  whole  right  throughout 
the  town  or  plantation  on  condition  they  build  a  saw  mill  there  by 
the  first  of  September  next  ensuing  the  date  hereof,  and  a  good  grist 
mill  so  soon  as  there  is  settled  twenty  families  on  the  said  plantation  in 
case  there  is  water  enough  to  accommodate  both  mills  and  the  mills  be 
built  and  in  the  length  of  time  by  clearing  the  land  or  any  other  way  it 
shall  be  judged  that  there  is  not  water  to  answer  the  end  for  said  mill 
or  mills  or  that  the  men  are  obliged  to  raise  the  dam  so  high  to  save 
water  to  saw  or  grind  so  as  to  be  judged  hurtfull  :  then  the  proprietors 
shall  pay  the  men  that  built  the  mill  or  mills  for  them  the  price  of  what 
they  shall  then  be  accounted  worth,  or  else  procure  for  the  men  that 
built  the  mill  or  mills  the  stream  commonly  called  or  known  by  the 
name  of  [Mill  brook]  Contoocook  &  the  privileges  thereof  as  was  re- 
served as  by  record  may  appear — they  taking  the  land  as  it  was  re- 
served by  each  [of  the]  falls  for  conveuiency  of  the  mills  for  part  of 
their  rights." 

The  above,  evident^,  was  not  drawn  by  the  clear-headed  clerk, 
Joseph  Coffin,  for  we  find  an  explanatory  note  in  his  hand-writ- 
ing, as  follows : 

2 


18  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1735. 

"  The  true  intent  &  meaning  of  the  above  written  vote  is  that  if 
the  nine  Gentle""  do  build  mills  on  Contoocook  river  to  our  acceptance 
then  the  society  is  not  to  procure  said  stream  [  in  blank  ]  for  tliose  men 
which  built  on  the  little  stream.  Those  men  that  have  undertaken  to 
build  the  aforesaid  mill  or  mills  at  the  above  plantation  are  as  followetli 
to  "wit  : 

"  Joseph  Gerrish  Esq,  Mr  Tristram  Little,  John  Coffin,  M"'  Joseph 
Noyes,  y""  3'^  Lieut  William  Ilsley,  Cor  Thomas  Thorla,  John  Moody 
ju'',  Daniel  Coffin,  Benjamin  Pettengill,  Lieut  Benjamin  Lunt,  Dea 
James  Noyes,  Joseph  Coffin,  John  Webster,  Lieut  Moses  Gerrish,  &  Capt 
Edward  Emery,  these  men  above  named  are  to  give  bond  for  their  well 
performing  their  work." 

At  that  meeting  Robert  Adams,  Joseph  Morss,  3d,  and  Richard 
Hale,  were  appointed  a  committee  to  take  a  bond  of  the  above 
named,  and  Henry  Rolfe  was  chosen  to  confer  with  them  in  re- 
gard to  building  the  mill. 

THE    FIRST    CHILD. 

The  year  opened  auspiciously  to  the  settlers,  for  on  Jan.  7  a 
daughter  was  born  to  Nathaniel  Danforth — the  first  birth  in  the 
plantation.  The  infant  was  named  Abigail,  grew  to  maidenhood, 
and  married  Thomas  Foss,  whose  name  frequently  appears  in  the 
records  of  the  town. 

THE    SURROUNDING    COUNTRY. 

A  survey  of  the  settled  sections  of  New  Hampshire  at  this 
time  will  be  of  interest. 

Northward  of  Contoocook  there  was  an  unbroken  wilderness 
reaching  to  Canada.  Hunters  and  explorers  had  passed  up  and 
down  the  valley  of  the  Merrimack,  but  no  settler  had  reared  his 
cabin  above  the  Contoocook  intervale.  The  men  who  set  up  their 
log  houses  on  King  street  were  the  advance  guard  of  civilization. 

On  the  east  there  was  no  settlement  between  Contoocook  and 
Rochester.  Dover  and  Portsmouth,  the  oldest  towns  in  tiie  state, 
had  been  settled  one  hundred  years  when  the  men  of  Newbury 
located  themselves  at  Contoocook,  and  yet  so  slow  had  been  the 
advance  northward  from  those  localities,  that  the  most  northerly 
settlement  was  at  Rochester,  within  ten  miles  of  Dover.  In 
1732  a  few  settlers  i^ushed  westward  from  Dover  to  Barrington. 
In  Nottingham,  south  of  Barrington,  Joseph  Cilley  and  others 


1735.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  19 

built  tlieir  cabins  in  1727 ;  ])ut  in  the  territory  now  comprised  in 
tlie  towns  of  Farmington,  Strafford,  Barnstead,  Nortbwood,  Deer- 
field,  Candia,  Epsom,  Pittsfield,  Loudon,  and  Chichester,  there 
was  no  settlement.  Southward  were  the  settlements  on  the  river — • 
Penacook,  Chestnut  Woods  (Chester),  which  was  settled  in  1722, 
K"utfield  (Derry),  settled  in  1719.  West  of  Nuffield  was  John 
Cromwell's  trading-house,  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Merrimack  ; 
but  the  first  settlers  of  that  town  located  there  the  same  year 
that  the  people  of  Newbury  moved  to  Contoocook.  John  Crom- 
well had  been  there,  off  and  on,  as  early  as  1679,  buying  furs  of 
the  Indians,  doing  as  the  old  Knickerbockers  of  Manhattan  were 
wont  to  do — pile  the  furs  in  one  scale  and  put  their  foot  in  the 
other  !  The  Indians  discovered  Cromwell's  trick,  however,  of  hav- 
ing a  heavy  foot  when  he  bought,  and  a  light  foot  when  he  sold; 
consequently  he  was  obliged  to  use  both  of  his  feet  nimbly  in 
getting  away.  His  trading-house  was  a  ruin  when  the  Contoo- 
cook settlers  came  northward  to  their  future  homes. 

Between  Nuffield  and  Penacook  there  was  no  settlement,  ex- 
cept at  Suncook  (Pembroke),  which  had  been  granted  to  Capt. 
John  Lovewell,  and  which  was  settled  in  1727. 

On  the  west  bank  of  the  Merrimack,  above  Dunstable,  there 
was  no  settlement  except  at  Hollis,  where,  in  1731,  Peter  Powers 
began  a  clearing  and  built  a  cabin ;  none  in  all  of  the  territory  of 
Hillsborough  countj'^,  and  Cheshire,  with  the  exception  of  the 
settlements  at  Winchester  and  Hinsdale.  Josiah  Willard  and 
others  had  been  at  Winchester  one  year  only.  New  Brookline 
was  settled  in  1733.  The  next  place  settled  in  south-western 
New  Hampshire  was  Keene,  in  1736.  Charlestown  was  not  set- 
tled till  1738. 

Of  the  localities  arouiid  Contoocook,  a  settlement  was  made  in 
Canterbury  the  same  year  as  in  Contoocook.  Virtually  it  was 
one  settlement,  separated  only  by  the  river. 

On  the  west  the  first  settlement  was  at  Hopkinton,  in  1740, 
but  the  inhabitants  of  that  locality  abandoned  their  homes  in 
1746.  The  first  settlement  in  Salisbury  was  in  1750,  by  Philip 
Call,  Nathaniel  Meloon,  Benjamin  Pettengill,  John  and  Ebenezer 
Webster,  Andrew  Bohonon.  These,  with  the  exception  of  Pet- 
tengill and  Webster,  moved  from  Contoocook. 

So  slow  was  the  advancing  wave  of  civilization,  that  in  the  val- 


20  CIVIL    HISTORY,  [1736, 

ley  of  the  Merrimack  there  was  no  settlement  above  Salisbury  till 
1764,  when  Zachariah  Parker  and  James  Hobart  settled  at  Ply- 
mouth. That  was  a  great  step  northward,  for  not  till  two  years 
later  were  there  any  inhabitants  between  what  is  now  Pranklin 
and  Plymouth.  Thomas  Crawford  reared  a  cabin  in  Bridgewater 
in  1766.  The  advancement  on  the  west  was  quite  as  slow.  Some 
settlers  moved  into  Hillsborough  in  1741,  but  moved  out  again 
soon  after.  No  permanent  settlement  was  made  there  till  1757. 
Henniker  was  without  an  inhabitant  till  1761,  when  James 
Peters  erected  a  log  cabin.  In  Warner  there  was  no  permanent 
settler  till  1762,  two  years  after  Contoocook  was  incoi-porated 
a  town.  A  year  later — 1763 — the  first  inhabitant  moved  into 
NeAvport.     There  was  no  settlement  in  Sanborton  till  1765. 

Por  a  quarter  of  a  century  Contoocook  was  the  out-post  of  civil- 
ization, maintaining  its  position  through  the  Indian  wars,  its 
hardy  settlers  never  thinking  of  retreat. 

ACTION    OF    PROPRIETORS    IN    REGARD    TO    A    MINISTER. 

May  19.  The  proprietors  held  their  annual  meeting  at  Con- 
toocook, several  of  them  coming  from  Newbury  to  attend  it.  It 
was  their  first  meeting  in  the  plantation.  Josejih  Gen-ish  was 
chosen  moderator,  and  Joseph  Coffin,  clerk. 

The  first  business  transacted  was  in  relation  to  securing  a  min- 
ister of  the  gospel ;  and  Lieut.  Benj.  Lunt,  Joseph  Geri'ish,  and 
John  Coffin  were  cliosen  a  committee  "  to  agree  with  a  suitable 
person  to  preach  at  Contoocook,  &  also  to  raise  money  to  defray 
the  expenses  of  the  plantation." 

One  thing  is  to  be  noted  in  connection,  that  the  proprietors 
still  living  in  Newbury,  and  who  had  no  thought  of  emigrating  to 
Contoocook,  cheerfully  taxed  themselves  to  support  a  minister  in 
the  plantation,  thus  carrying  out  the  provisions  of  the  grant  hon- 
orably, and  acting  with  great  liberality  towards  the  settlers. 

At  this  meeting  it  was  voted  that  there  should  be  no  meadows 
mown  before  the  10th  of  July,  when  the  grass  was  "  to  be  cut  by 
those  men  that  are  there,  in  equality,  each  doing  his  portion  or 
share  of  the  labor." 

It  was  also  voted  that  Edward  Emery,  Stephen  Gerrish,  Na- 
thaniel Danford,  "  shall  cut  that  piece  of  meadow  which  they 
have  found,  and  cut  a  way  into  for  this  year  &  no  longer," 


1736.] 


CIVIL    HISTORY.  21 


Where  this  may  have  been  is  uncertain.  It  is  handed  down 
by  tradition  that  there  was  a  section  of  cleared  meadow  land  lie- 
tween  Great  and  Little  ponds,  also  at  various  places  along  the 
brooks  and  streams  of  the  town. 

It  was  also  voted  that  the  highways  should  be  mended  at  the 
proprietors'  cost,  that  ''  any  person  that  do  labores  on  said  ways 
to  the  satisfaction  of  y®  surveyors,  shall  have  five  shillings  for  his 
service." 

Voted,  also,  to  raise  one  hundred  pounds  "  to  build  a  cart  bridge 
over  Contoocook  river."  Benjamin  Eolfe,  William  Ilsley,  and 
John  Coffin  were  chosen  a  committee  to  build  the  same  ; — "  that 
is  if  they  can  build  s*  bridge  and  keep  it  in  good  repair  for  the 
space  of  ten  years  for  an  hundred  pounds,  wdiich  is  already 
granted." 

TOWX-HOUSE. 

The  proprietors  erected,  during  the  year,  a  toAvn-house.  No 
record  has  been  preserved  showing  where  it  was  located,  but  the 
little  brook  wdiich  runs  from  Queen  street  to  the  pond  crossed  by 
the  Northern  Kailroad  is  frequently  spoken  of  as  ''  Town-House 
brook."  It  is  probable  that  this  first  public  edifice  of  logs  stood 
near  the  stream,  and  not  far  from  the  present  residence  of  Prof. 
John  Jackman,  or,  possibly,  near  the  residence  of  Mr.  Hamilton 
P.  Gill.  • 

Prom  action  taken  in  regard  to  the  discharge  of  the  bond  given 
by  the  fifteen  who  obligated  themselves  to  build  the  saw-mill,  the 
evidence  is  conclusive  that  the  mill  had  been  erected. 

"  Voted  that  the  bonds  of  the  men,  Avhich  have  built  the  saw  mill  be 
delivered  &  to  lay  out  the  bonds  for  building  said  mill  according  to  vote 
as  by  record." 

It  was  the  pioneer  mill  of  this  section  of  the  Merrimack  valley. 
The  saw-mills  of  that  period  were  such  as  any  carpenter  might 
construct.  This  mill  had  no  "nigger"  wheel  to  move  the  "car- 
riage" back  after  the  saw  had  passed  through  the  log :  that  labor 
was  done  by  a  man  treading  upon  the  cogs  of  the  "ratchet- 
wheel," — labor  exceedingly  fatiguing.  For  many  years  it  was 
the  only  saw^nill  in  the  town,  and  several  of  the  houses  now 
standing  on  King  street  are  covered  with  boards  which  were  sawn 
in  this  first  mill. 


22  CIVIL    HISTORY,  [1737. 

At  their  March  meeting,  1737,  the  proprietors  voted  tliat  Joseph 
Gerrish,  Henry  Eolfe,  and  Joseph  Stickney  he  a  committee  "to 
treat  with  some  suitable  man  &  a  Christian  learned  to  preach  at 
Contoocook  the  dimming  summer  and  in  order  to  settle  the  afore- 
said Gentleman  if  he  can  he  rationally  agreed  with  to  serve  us  in 
the  ministry."  Two  hundred  pounds  was  raised  for  preaching,  and 
the  assessors  were  directed  to  make  the  town-house  convenient  for 
the  use  of  the  minister  and  people  on  the  Sahbath. 

THE    FIRST    MINISTER. 

The  committee  secured  the  services  of  Rev.  Phineas  Stevens 
(see  Biography).  This  action  fulfilled  all  the  provisions  of  the 
grant,  except  that  relating  to  the  number  of  families  in  the  plan- 
tation. It  is  probable  that  Mr.  Stevens  began  his  ministrations 
in  May. 

A  second  meeting  of  the  proprietors  was  held  May  10,  at  which 
it  Avas  voted  that  there  should  not  be  more  than  Mty  pounds  laid 
out  on  the  highways  during  the  year.  A  man  was  to  receive  five 
shillings,  and  a  yoke  of  oxen  was  to  be  rated  at  four  shillings  for 
a  day's  work. 

THE    FIRST    FERRY. 

No  bridge  had  as  yet  been  erected  across  the  Contoocook,  and 
the  only  means  of  communication  with  ?enacook  and  with  Can- 
terbury was  by  boat.  Both  the  Merrimack  and  Contoocook  were 
too  deep  to  be  forded.  It  is  probable  that  up  to  this  i:)eriod  the 
settlers  had  relied  on  their  small  skiffs,  their  horses  and  oxen 
swimming  the  rivers.  But  the  time  had  come  for  the  establish- 
ing of  a  public  ferry.     At  the  proprietors'  meeting,  it  was  voted, — 

"  That  Stephen  Gerrish  shall  have  six  pounds  paid  him  by  the  pro- 
prietors, his  building  a  ferry  boat  and  keeping  said  boat  in  good  re- 
pair, and  giviug  due  &  constant  attendance  to  ye  proprietors  to  ferry 
themselves  and  their  creatures  over  Merrimack  as  foUoweth  :  (viz.)  a 
man  at  two  pence,  a  man  and  horse  at  four  pence,  a  man  and  one  yoke 
of  oxen  at  six  pence,  a  man  and  one  cow  at  four  pence  and  young 
creatures  according  to  bigness;  and  at  years  end  his  returnitig  said 
boat  to  the  proprietors  or  to  whom  they  appoint  to  receive  the  afore- 
said boat,  or  six  pounds  in  bills  of  credit  of  ye  old  tenor." 

The  ferry  was  located  in  the  bend  of  the  Merrimack,  above  its 


CIVIL    HISTORY.  23 


1737.] 

junction  with  the  Contoocook.  In  after  years  a  ferrj-way  was 
laid  out  from  King  street  to  the  bank  of  the  Merrimack.  The 
settlement  of  Canterbury  was  keeping  pace  with  Contoocook,  and 
such  a  location  would  best  suit  the  two  communities,  while  it 
would  be  on  the  direct  road  to  Newbury. 

PETITION    FOR    CONSTABLE. 

Henry  Eolfe  and  Joseph  Gerrish  were  appointed  a  committee 
to  petition  the  Great  and  General  Court  "  for  the  appointment  of 
constable  to  keep  ye  peace."  There  was  no  evidence  that  the  little 
community  was  not  peaceably  disposed,  but  a  constable  repre- 
sented the  majesty  of  the  law.  The  very  appointment  would  tend 
to  keep  the  peace. 

At  a  proprietors'  meeting,  held  September  6,  it  was  voted  that 
the  lots,  "  namely,  the  ministers,  ministry  &  school  lots  shall  be 
piched  [pitched]  and  a  committee  be  chosen  to  pich  them." 

The  undoubted  design  of  this  vote  was  the  securing  of  the  best 
land  in  the  town  for  tliat  which  they  most  prized,— the  religious, 
moral,  and  educational  advancement  of  the  community.  This, 
rather  than  their  material  interests,  characterized  the  action  of 
the  proprietors  from  the  beginning.  There  was  a  large-hearted- 
ness  in  all  that  they  did ;  and  this  action  was  followed  by  its 
legitimate  sequence,— the  building  up  of  a  solid,  substantial  com- 
munity— energetic,  moral,  religious,  liberal — which,  till  emigra- 
tion began  to  draw  its  life  blood,  occupied  a  front  rank  among 
the  purely  agricultural  towns  of  the  state. 

SECOND    DIVISION    OF    LOTS. 

It  was  voted  that  there  be  a  second  division  of  land.  Benjamin 
Eolfe,  John  Coffin,  Edward  Emery,  Joseph  Gerrish,  and  Thomas 
Thorla  were  appointed  to  make  the  division,  and  were  to  have  nine 
shillings  a  day  for  their  services.  This  committee  were  to  make 
the  selection  of  the  minister's  and  school  lots. 

FIRST     MEETING-HOUSE. 

Up  to  this  time,  the  services  on  the  Sabbath  had  been  held 
either  in  the  town-house  or  else  in  the  dwelling  of  one  of  the  set- 
tlers.    But  the  conditions  of  the  grant  required  the  erection  of  a 


2-4  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1738. 

meeting-liouse  ;  and  it  was  voted  that  a  house  be  erected,  and  that 
the  sum  of  one  hundred  pounds  be  raised  to  enable  the  committee 

to  go  on  in  building  a  house 
-="-  "forty  feet   long   and   of  the 

j^  ",     same  width  of  Rumford  Meet- 

—   -  ^fe    ing  house  and  two  feet  higher, 

^f  ^  '       'v       ^-^!^^My^'-    said  house  to  be  built  of  logs." 

'  .li^^j_t^5Jta\i.j;^o^f        Penacook    had    taken    the 
name    of   Rumford,   a   planta- 
tion with  a  meeting-house  and 
a    settled   minister.      The    ac- 
N  "  companying  cut  of  the  Rum- 

ford  mceting-house,  the  model  for  that  of  Contoocook,  has  been 
kindly  loaned  by  Rev.  is"athaniel  Bouton,  d.  d.,  the  historian  of 
Concord. 

Joseph  Gerrish,  Joseph  Coffin,  and  Jacob  Flanders  were  chosen 
building  committee. 

LAYING    OUT    OF    THE    SECOND    DIVISION"    OF    LOTS. 

The  committee  on  a  second  division  of  land  employed  John 
Brown  as  surveyor,  laying  out  Fish,  High,  Cross,  Water,  Long, 
Battle,  Pleasant,  and  West  (Little  Hill)  streets,  four  rods  in 
width.  Upon  these  highways,  lots  containing  eighty  acres  were 
located,  one  for  each  proprietor.  The  expense  of  the  survey 
amounted  to  one  hundred  pounds  ten  shillings. 

Upon  the  completion  of  the  survey,  the  proprietors  assembled 
at  the  town-house,  in  Newbury,  December  20,  to  attend  the  draw- 
ing of  lots.  Joseph  Gerrish  was  chosen  chairman ;  but  the  day 
being  very  cold,'  the  meeting  was  adjourned  to  the  tavern  of  John 
March  (possibly  Mancher),  where  the  lots  were  drawn. 

POPULATION. 

From  a  deposition  of  Moses  Burbank,  one  of  the  first  settlers, 
made  in  1796,  we  are  able  to  obtain  the  number  of  settlers,  and 
the  condition  of  the  plantation. 

"  There  was  33  settlers  in  the  year  1738  and  about  50  or  60 
Rights  bearun  in  the  settlement  &  in  the  course  of  two  or  three 


1739.] 


CIVIL    HISTORY. 


■25 


years  after  there  was  as  many  as  90  or  96  Rights  Begun  Improve- 
ment,"    [Found  among  the  papers  of  Col.  Henry  Gerrish.] 

COMPLETIO^r    OF    THE    MEETING-HOUSE. 

During  the  winter  of  1738-9  the  meeting-house  was  completed. 
The  site  selected  by  the  committee  was  near  the  center  of  the 
cemetery,  on  the  Plain.  The  pulpit  is  supposed  to  have  been  over 
the  spot  where  rest  the  remains  of  Dea.  Isaac  Pearson,  whose 
dying  request  was  that  he  might  be  buried  on  the  spot  where 
the  gospel  had  been  preached  by  the  first  minister  of  the  town 
•  and  his  successors.  Por  thirty  years  the  edifice  was  used  for  pub- 
lic worship  and  town-meetings.  Upon  its  demolition,  some  of  the 
timber  was  used  in  the  construction  of  a  stable,  now  owned  by  Mr. 
Emerson. 

This  first  meeting-house  in  Contoocook  was  the  twent^-^-seventh 
in  the  state.  Those  erected  at  an  earlier  date  were  in  the  follow- 
ing order : 

MEETIXG-HOUSES    IN    THE    STATE. 


1633.  Dover. 

1638.  Exeter. 

1638.  Hampton. 

1641.  Gosport. 

1655.  Durham. 

1671.  Newcastle. 

1685.  Nashua  (Dunstable). 

1706.  Greenland. 

1711.  Hampton  Falls. 

1715.  Newington. 

1717.  Stratham. 

1725.  Kingston. 

1726.  Rye. 

1727.  Derry. 

It  will  be  seen  that  at  this  time 
houses  west  of  the  Merrimack — at 
and  Contoocook. 


1727.  Somersworth. 

1729.  Concord  (Rumford). 

1730.  Plaistow. 

1730.  South  Newmarket. 

1731.  Chester. 
1733.  Dover,  2d. 
1733.  Keene. 

1733.  Winchester. 

1734.  North  Hampton. 
1737.  Hudson. 

1737.  Kensington. 

1737.  Pembroke. 

1738.  Boscawen. 

there  were  only  four  meeting- 
Dunstable,  Keene,  Winchester, 


26 


CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1739. 


proprietors'  meetixgs 


May  16.  Meeting  in  the  town-liouse  in  Contoocook.  Eev.  Mr. 
Stevens  was  again  employed  to  preach,  and  £300,  old  tenor,  was 
raised  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  proprietors. 

Dec.  6.  Meeting  held  at  the  house  of  John  Mancher,  innholder 
in  Newbury.  Up  to  this  time,  the  settlers  of  Contoocook,  in  com- 
mon with  those  of  the  frontiers,  had  lived  in  peace  with  the  Ind- 
ians ;  but  France  and  England  were  at  war,  and  the  Indians  being 
under  the  influence  of  the  French,  it  was  feared  that  the  settle- 
ment would  be  attacked.  Every  town  established  its  garrison. 
The  proprietors  took  prompt  action  to  defend  the  settlement. 

THE     FIRST     FORT. 

It  was  voted  that  a  fort  should  be  erected  at  the  expense  of  the 
proprietors,  the  enclosure  to  be  one  hundred  feet  square,  built  of 
hewn  logs,  seven  feet  high  and  eight  inches  thick  when  hewn,  "  to 
be  built  three  feet  above  the  logs  with  such  stuff  as  shall  be 
agreed  upon  by  the  committee." 

From  this  record  it  may  be  inferred  that  there  was  an  upper 
work, — a  chevaux-de-frise  of  pointed,  projecting  timbers,  designed 
to  prevent  the  enemy  from  climbing  over  the  wooden  walls,  which 
undoubtedly  were  loop-holed  for  the  use  of  musketry. 

It  was  voted  to  locate  the  fortification  on  the  "school  lot." 
The  probabilities  are  that  it  was  erected  a  few  feet  south  of  that 
lot,  near  the  spot  upon  which  the  first  framed  house  was  subse- 
quently erected  by  Eev.  Eobie  Morrill,  now  standing — the  two- 
storied  edifice  a  few  rods  easterly  of  King  street. 

A  spring  of  sweet  water  issued  from  the  high  bank  near  by, 
from  which  the  garrison  could  be  supplied.  The  spring  is  now 
the  well  in  the  shed  attached  to  the  above-mentioned  house.  The 
location  was  well  chosen.  It  stood  on  the  brink  of  a  high  bank, 
and  commanded  the  intervale.  The  Indians  might  look  down  upon 
it  from  the  high  hill  west  of  Town-House  brook,  but  too  far  away 
to  do  any  damage.  The  spring  was  so  near,  that  water  could  al- 
ways be  obtained  without  danger.  Barracks  were  erected  inside 
of  the  fortification  for  the  convenience  of  the  garrison  and  fami- 
lies. 


1739.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  27 

It  being  found  that  the  enclosure  was  not  large  enough  to  ac- 
commodate the  entire  community,  another  fortification  was  erect- 
ed, during  the  winter,  near  the  house  now  occupied  by  Prof.  John 
Jackman.  ISTo  record  has  been  preserved  in  regard  to  the  dimen- 
sions of  this  garrison,  but  it  probably  was  somewhat  smaller,  and 
designed  as  a  retreat  for  the  settlers  on  Queen  street  in  case  of 
sudden  surprise. 

Through  the  years  of  trouble  with  the  Indians,  these  garrisons 
served  to  protect  the  resolute  men,  who,  during  the  most  exciting 
times,  when  other  frontier  settlements  were  abandoned,  never 
thought  of  yielding  the  ground  to  the  foe. 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE   SECOND  DECADE. 

jp||TAY  16, 1740,  tlie  annual  meeting  of  tlie  proprietors  was  lield 
at  the  town-house.  Among  other  officers  chosen  were  two 
field-drivers — Nathaniel  Meloon  and  Ambrose  Goold.  The  ques- 
tion, "  whether  ye  hogs  should  run  at  large  the  year  ensuing, — 
they  being"  well  j^oked,"  was  decided  in  the  affirmative. 

A  committee  was  chosen  to  confer  with  Rev.  Phineas  Stevens, 
in  regard  to  his  settlement  as  minister;  and  £150  in  bills  of  credit 
was  voted  for  contingent  expenses. 

John  Brown,  Thomas  Thorla,  and  Joseph  Gerrish  were  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  lay  out  a  highway  through  the  town,  to 
Baker's  town,  "  on  petition  of  John  Sergeant  &  others  Canada 
Soldiers,  which  Township  is  laid  above  Contoocook  &  adjoining 
to  Merrimack." 

This  has  reference  to  the  present  South  Franklin.  The  Canada 
soldiers  alluded  to  were  those  who  had  been  out  upon  the  fron- 
tier to  defend  the  settlements  from  the  Indians.  The  highway 
was  an  extension  of  Fish  street,  the  southerly  end  of  which  had 
been  laid  out  by  John  Brown  in  1738. 

SETTLEMENT    OF    IlEV.    MR.    STEVEXS. 

September  25,  a  meeting  was  held  at  John  Mancher's  tavern, 
in  Newbury,  but  without  transacting  any  business* was  adjourned 
to  October  1.  The  projjrietors  met  on  that  day  at  Ebenezer 
Choate's  tavern,  in  Newbur}-.  It  was  voted  that  the  salary  of 
Eev.  Mr.  Stevens,  for  the  first  year,  should  be  £135,  in  bills  of 


vV\v\\\\   Vv.S 


\'vV\v\\\\  yv^^iVvvv 

A 


1740.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  29 

credit,  eqiuvalent  to  silver  at  29  shillings  the  ounce,  and  an  in- 
crease of  £5  a  year  until  it  should  amount  to  £175  per  annum, 
which  should  he  his  regular  salary  thereafter.  It  was  also  voted 
to  give  him  a  settlement  of  £180 ;  and  in  case  it  should  be  found 
that  £175  was  not  an  adequate  support,  the  proprietors  would 
make  a  reasonable  addition. 

The  first  minister,  according  to  the  grant,  was  entitled  to  one 
eighty-fourth  part  of  the  land  ;  but,  as  the  town  was  laid  out  in  one 
hundred  and  four  rights,  the  proprietors  made  a  stipulation  that 
Mr.  Stevens  should  not  claim  but  one  one-hundred-and-fourth 
share.  Joseph  Gerrish,  John  Brown,  Edward  Emery,  John 
Coffin,  and  George  Jackman  were  appointed  a  committee  to  pre- 
sent the  terms  of  settlement,  and  to  arrange  for  the  ordination. 

There  were  not  many  ministers  near  at  hand  to  take  part  in 
the  ceremony.  At  Penacook  was  Rev.  Timothy  Walker ;  at  Sun- 
cook,  Rev.  Aaron  Whittemore.  The  nest  nearest  minister  was 
Rev.  Moses  Hale,  of  Chester.  There  was  a  Presbyterian  minis- 
ter at  Nuffield  (Derry),  Rev.  Wm.  Davidson,  just  about  being 
settled,  who  had  married  the  widow  of  his  predecessor.  But 
Davidson  was  a  Presbyterian  ;  and  the  war  was  hot  between  the 
Presbyterians  and  the  Orthodox,  as  the  Congregationalists  were 
called.  There  was  no  fello\vship  between  the  denominations. 
The  nearest  minister  following  down  the  Merrimack  was  Josiah 
Swan,  at  Dunstable.  At  Exeter,  the  capital  of  the  proA'ince,  was 
Rev.  John  Odlin,  Avho  had  been  preaching  a  third  of  a  century  ; 
at  Dover  was  Jonathan  Cashing ;  at  Durham,  Rev.  Hugh  An- 
drews. But  it  would  have  been  a  round-about  way  for  these  min- 
isters to  have  come  to  the  ordination, — south  to  Exeter,  thence  to 
"  Charmingfare "  (Candia),  thence  to  Suncook  and  Penacook. 
At  South  Newmarket  was  John  Moody  ;  at  Stratham,  Henry 
Rust ;  at  Plaistow,  James  Cushing ;  at  Kingston,  Joseph  Secomb. 
The  churches  at  Hampton  and  along  the  sea-shore  were  supplied 
with  pastors,  but  it  is  not  probable  that  they  were  called  upon  to 
take  part  in  the  council ;  nor  is  it  probable  that  either  of  the  two 
ministers  in  the  south-west  part  of  the  state — Rev.  Jacob  Bacon, 
of  Keene,  or  Rev.  Joseph  Ashley,  of  Winchester — was  invited. 
The  records  give  no  information  as  to  who  took  part  in  the  exer- 
cises in  the  little  loo;  meetina;-house. 


30                                                  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1740. 
OKDIXATIOX    EXPENSES. 

The  iiroprietors'  records  contain  an  account  of  the  expenses  of 

the  ordination : 

"  An  Accorapt  of  the  Expenses  for  the  Ordination  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 

Phiueas  Stevens  at   Contoocook  Oct  29,  1740  For  which  Charge  the 

Proprietors  are  indebted 

''To  Mr  Edward  Emery ^ 

For  five  Bushels  of  Wheat  at  12=  per  bushi  £3—  0—0 

16  lbs  Pork  at  18<i  1—  4—0 

2  lbs  Sugar  0—  4-0 

for   Crainberrys  Cabbage  &  turnips  0 — 10 — 0 

Eggs  1^  G'l  Trouble  of  his  house  30=  1_11_6 

Charge  he  has  been  at  26^  &  Trouble  12=  1—18—0 

For  bringing  up  the  Boat  1 —  0 — 0 


9—7  —6" 

The  query  arises,  how  a  boat  could  be  used  at  an  ordination. 
The  answer  is  j)lain :  there  was  no  bridge  across  the  Merrimack. 
The  ministers  from  the  lower  towns  would  come  by  the  road  lead- 
ing up  the  east  side  of  the  Merrimack :  hence  the  need  of  a  boat. 
"  To  Mr  George  Jachman, 

For  Edward  FitzGerald's  Service  1—  6—  0 

for  2  women  2  days  each  0 — 12 —  0 

a  Bushel  of  wheat  1-2^  &  a  Bushel  of  Indian  6=  0—18—  0 

His  Trouble  30=  Cabbages  &  Turnips  5=  1—15—  0 


4—11—  0 


"To  Joseph  Gerrish  Esq 

For  4  Barrels  of  Cider  4^—12=  &  20=  for  his  trouble  5—12—  0 

For  352  lbs  of  Beef  at  Gp  10—  5—  4 

90  lbs  of  Pork  at  12p  4—10—  0 

27  lbs  Salt  Pork  40=  6i'  &  30  lbs  of  butter  2=  5—  0—  6 

li  bushels  of  Wheat  18=  Turnips  &c  6=  1—  8—  0 
8  Turkies  at  56  at  9''  per  lb  42=.     Bringing  the  Boat 

20=  3—  2—  0 

Carting  10£     His  trouble  30=  11—10—  0 


41—07—10 


''To  Mr  John  Coffin 

For  30  lbs  of  butter  60=  4  bushi  of  Malt  40=  5—  0—  0 


1740.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  31 

For  40^:  lbs  Salt  Pork  60^  9!'  &  26  lbs  of  cheese  at  28^  2"         4  8—11— 
8  Geese  51i  at  8p  34:«  4"  &  bis  trouble  &  charge  60^         4—14—  4 


14—  3—  3 

"To  Mr  John  Noijes  Jun 

For  2  Cases  of  Knives  40^  for  10  lbs  Sugar  20=  &  one  lb 

pepper  O'^  3 —  9 —  0 
'To  Mr  Daniel  Coffin 
For  10  lbs  of  Raisins  35=  5  lbs  Currents  15=  11  lbs  of  loaf 

Sugar  55=  4—15  0 

30  lbs  of  Flower  10=  6  Drinking  glasses  8=  1—  8—  0 

Biscake  2i)=,  1  doz  Mugs  12=  Carting  Stores  12=  2—  4—  0 

19  Gallons  Rhum  at  10=  per  Gal  8—10—  0 

10—17—  0 
'To  Mr  John  Adams 

For  20  lbs  Sugar  36=  8i'  Chocolate  1^  lb  21=  9p  2—18—  5 

Nutmegs  5=  6i\     Allspice  4=  Pipes  4  doz  8=  0—17 —  6 


3—15—11 


'To  Mr  John  Rolf  Jun 

For  one  half  barrel  full  bound  &  a  4  gallon  Cask  0—12—  0 

'To  John  Brown 

For  Spices  9=  Pipes  &  Tobacco  12=  6p                      •  1—1—6 

For  a  50  gallon  cask  &  a  4  gall  bottle  0 —  7 —  0 

For  his  trouble  &  charge  3 —  0 —  0 


4—08—  6 


'To  Mr  Eben^r  Choate 

For  Wine  1—10—  0 

'To  Mr  Moses  Gerrish 

For  5  lbs  of  Sugar  0—10—  0 

'To  Cutting  Lunt 

For  four  Gallons  of  Molasses  1 —  8 —  0 

'To  Richards  Sf  Titcomb 

For  Carrying  up  their  Famls  Each  20=  2—  0—  0 


104-  0—  0 


<'A  true  Accompt  Errors  Excepted  Newbury  Nov  5"i  1740 

John  Brown." 


32  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1740. 

This  in  federal  currency  would  bo  equal  to  $46.35.  It  repre- 
sented, however,  much  more  than  that,  for  the  purchasing  power 
of  money  was  much  greater  at  that  period  than  at  the  present 
time. 

An  ordination  in  those  days  was  a  jubilee,  a  great  event,  one 
in  which  the  whole  community  had  an  interest,  and  people  from 
far  and  near  came  to  attend  it.  That  settlers  from  other  towns 
were  present  is  evident  from  the  amount  of  provision  prepared. 
Contoocook,  in  1740,  had  less  than  one  hundred  inhahitants — 
probably  the  number  did  not  exceed  seventy-five ;  yet  there  was 
provision  sufficient  for  dining  a  regiment.  The  wheat  was  suf- 
ficient to  make  345  pounds,  or  a  barrel  and  a  half  of  flour. 
There  were  352  pounds  of  beef,  173^  pounds  of  pork,  51^  of 
geese,  56  of  turkey,  a  bushel  of  Indian  meal,  60  pounds  of  butter, 
to  say  nothing  of  the  cabl>ages  and  turnips.  The  beef  was  equiv- 
alent to  half  an  ox,  and  the  pork  to  half  a  hog.  Certainly  there 
must  have  been  many  visitors  from  abroad.  We  may  think  of  all 
Penacook  and  Canterbury  and  Suncook  as  being  there,  and 
probably  a  goodly  number  of  the  proprietors  from  Newbury, — 
thinking  it  no  hardship  to  ride  sixty  miles  on  horseback  through 
the  forest  to  visit  their  friends  and  relatives  in  Contoocook. 

It  was  the  first  week  in  October,  when  the  great  forest 
would  be  i:i  all  its  'glory, — the  maples  bright  with  the  changing 
hues  of  autumn,  crimson  and  magenta  and  vermeil  dyes  of  every 
hue — the  first  leaves  falling  earthward.  It  was  a  great  day  for 
the  young  settlement.  We  may  think  of  long  lines  of  men  and 
women,  on  horseback,  arriving  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Merri- 
mack, and  being  ferried  across  to  the  lower  intervale,  passing 
the  fields  of  corn  rustling  in  the  autumn  breeze.  They  wind  up 
the  pathway,  ascend  the  hill  to  the  level  plain  and  the  broad 
highway  of  King  street,  and  come  to  the  log  meeting-house, 
standing  on  a  knoll  east  of  it.  They  fasten  their  horses  to  the 
trees,  and  congratulate  the  citizens  of  Contoocook  on  the  auspicious 
event.  They  take  off  their  hats  to  the  reverend  men  in  wigs,  who 
have  come  to  ordain  Mr.  Stevens. 

The  council  assembles  in  the  house  of  Edward  Emery.  The 
candidate  is  questioned  in  regard  to  "  Eixed  fate  &  Eree  will," 
God's  sovereignty  and  man's  inability.  Then  comes  tlie  ordina- 
tion service  in  the  log  meeting-house,  the  invocation  itself  long 


1740.] 


CIVIL    HISTORY.  33 


enougli  for  a  pra^^er,  then  reading  the  Scriptures,  the  longer 
prayer,  the  still  longer  sermon,  and  all  the  other  exercises  long 
drawn,  till  ministers  and  people  are  sharp  set  for  the  dinner, — 
the  beef,  pork,  geese,  turkeys,  garnished  with  turnips  and  cabbages, 
bread  and  butter,  and  dessert  of  cakes  prepared  with  currants 
and  raisins.  We  see  the  reverend  clergymen  filling  their  glasses 
with  wine,  while  the  multitude  refresh  themselves  from  the  four 
barrels  of  cider  on  tap,  and  the  casks  of  beer,  made  strong  with 
the  four  bushels  of  malt.  There  are  bowls  filled  with  punch,  for 
that  is  the  use  to  which  the  nineteen  gallons  of  "  Ehum  "  has 
been  put.  Possibly  there  are  mugs  of  egg-nog,  well  spiced, 
for  the  clergy,  and  served  up  smoking  hot,  with  a  heated  logger- 
head plunged  into  the  foaming  tankards.  And  then,  when 
the  repast  is  ended,  come  the  pipes  and  tobacco.  The  dinner  is 
served  out  of  doors, — for  there  is  not  on  King  street,  neither  on 
Queen  street,  a  log  house  capacious  enough  to  feast  the  throng. 
The  people  sit  on  the  stumps  of  the  old  oaks,  or  upon  the  log 
fence  surrounding  the  meeting-house  lot,  and  partake  of  the  gen- 
erous repast  provided  for  the  occasion,  and  talk  over  the  event, 
praise  the  sermon,  the  bearing  of  the  young  minister; — may- 
be they  carry  on  a  little  business,  talk  about  swapping  oxen, 
about  friends  at  Newbury,  and  what  is  going  on  in  the  world,  till 
the  October  sun  sinks  behind  the  "Mountain."  Then  the  Can- 
terbury and  Penacook  and  Suncook  people  take  their  departure — 
the  wife  on  the  pillion  behind  the  husband — while  the  friends  from 
Newbury  accept  the  hospitality  of  the  settlers,  sleeping  on  bear- 
skins before  the  wide-mouthed  fire-places  in  the  log  cabins. 

COLONIAL   JURISDICTIOIS'. 

To  whom  do  the  settlers  of  Contoocook  ow^e  allegiance, — to  Mas- 
sachusetts, or  to  New  Hampshire  ?  It  is  the  question  of  all  oth- 
ers claiming  their  attention  in  1740.  Massachusetts  was  making 
strenuous  efforts  to  extend  her  territory  northward  to  the  junction 
of  the  Winnepisaukee  and  Merrimack,  and  to  "  Endicott's  tree," 
a  large  pine  which  stood  on  the  bank  of  the  river  in  the  present 
town  of  Tilton. 

The  line  claimed  by  Massachusetts  began  at  the  sea,  three 
miles  north  of  the  "black  rocks  "  at  the  mouth  of  the  Merrimack; 
3 


84  CIVIL   HISTORY.  [1740. 

tlience  running  parallel  with  the  river  as  far  north  as  the 
"crotch"  or  junction  of  the  Merrimack  and  Wimiepisaukee ; 
thence  due  north,  as  far  as  a  certain  tree  laiown  as  "  Endicott's," 
three  miles  distant  from  the  "  crotch ; "  thence,  as  reads  the  char- 
ter "  due  west  to  the  South  sea."  This  would  have  given  Massa- 
chusetts jurisdiction  from  the  town  of  Franklin  westward  to  Oregon. 

New  Hampshire  claimed,  on  the  other  hand,  that  the  line 
should  begin  at  the  sea,  three  miles  north  of  the  middle  channel 
of  the  Merrimack,  and  from  thence  should  run  in  a  straight  line 
west,  until  it  met,  in  the  language  of  one  of  the  charters,  "  the 
king's  other  government."  This  "  other  government "  was  the 
territory  granted  h}^  Charles  II  to  the  Duke  of  York — supposed  by 
the  people  of  New  Hampshire  to  be  bovinded  by  the  Hudson ; 
but  by  the  people  of  New  York,  at  a  later  date,  it  was  claimed 
that  the  Connecticut  was  the  western  boundary  of  New  Hamp- 
shire. 

To  obtain  a  settlement  of  the  boundary,  a  commission  was  ap- 
pointed consisting  of  one  councillor  from  Nova  Scotia,  one  from 
New  York,  one  from  Ehode  Island,  and  one  from  New  Jersey. 
The  commissioners  met  at  Hampton,  August  1,  1737.  The  legis- 
latures of  Massachusetts  and  New  Hampshire  met  at  the  same 
time, — the  first  at  Salisburj',  the  latter  at  Hampton  Falls, — five 
miles  apart.  There  was  mvich  pomp  and  parade  ;  but  tlie  com- 
missioners were  divided  in  opinion,  and  the  question  was  referred 
to  London.  The  New  Hampshire  interest  was  placed  in  the  hands 
of  John  Tomlinson  and  Mr.  Parris,  while  the  attorneys  of  Massa- 
chusetts were  Edmund  Quincy,  who  suddenly  deceased,  1738, 
leaving  the  affairs  to  Messrs.  Wilks  &  Patridge. 

On  March  5,  1740,  a  decision  was  given  by  the  King's  Council, 
makino-  the  boundaries  as  they  ever  since  have  remained  between 
Massachusetts  and  New  Hampshire,  but  making  no  decision  in 
regard  to  the  western  boundary  of  the  colony,  which  was  not  then 
in  dispute. 

By  this  decision,  all  the  towns  west  of  the  Merrimack  which  had 
been  granted  to  Massachusetts  were  transferred  to  New  Hamp- 
shire not  only  between  the  Merrimack  and  the  Connecticut,  but 
west  of  that  river.  From  this  time  on — especially  during  Gov. 
Bennin-T  Wentworth's  administration — grants  were  made  by  New 
Hampshire  west  of  the  Connecticut  j  and  that  region,  up  to  the 


1740.] 


CIVIL   HISTORY.  35 


formation  of  Vermont  as  a  state  in  1777,  was  known  as  the  New 
Hampshire  Grants. 

The  settlers  of  Contoocook  were  attached  to  Massachusetts. 
They  came  from  Newhury.  The  plantation  had  been  granted  by 
that  colony,  and  they  desired  to  remain  under  its  jurisdiction.  At 
a  meeting  held  October  1,  the  following  vote  was  passed : 

"  Voted  that  there  shall  be  a  petition  sent  to  His  Most  Excellent 
Majesty  Saying  that  we,  the  proprietors  of  Contoocook  might  be  con. 
tinned  to  this  province  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  &  that  Thomas  Hutchin- 
son Esq.  be  our  agent." 

John  Brown,  Capt.  Moses  Gerrish,  and  Benjamin  Lunt  were 
appointed  to  prepare  the  petition.  Probably,  however,  the  peti- 
tion never  was  sent,  as  the  matter  had  been  decided  seven  months 
previous,  though  the  intelligence  had  not  reached   Contoocook. 

EXTEXSIOX    OF    FISH     STREET. 

In  Mr.  John  Brown's  MS.  field  book  is  the  record  of  the  run- 
ning of  a  line  from  Contoocook  to  Franklin. 

"  May  16  1740.  Jos.  Gerrish,  Nath^  Danforth,  Edward  Fitzgerald  & 
myself  Laid  out  a  Highway  of  four  Rods  broad  from  King  street  in 
Contoocook  to  Pemichewasett." 

The  line  was  nearly  identical  with  the  present  travelled  road. 

UNDER    THE    NEW    JURISDICTION". 

Up  to  this  time  New  Hampshire  had  been  a  dependency  of 
Massachusetts,  having  a  deputy-governor  as  chief  executive 
officer;  but  now  the  colony  became  a  separate  commonwealth. 
Beaming  Wentworth  was  appointed  governor.  He  was  born  in 
Portsmouth,  but,  being  in  England  at  the  time,  secured  the  ap- 
pointment.    He  assumed  the  duties  on  December  12,  1740. 

The  proprietors  and  settlers  were  desirous  of  continuing  their 
allegiance  to  Massachusetts,  but  cheerfully  gave  in  their  adhesion 
to  the  new  order  of  things. 

proprietors'  meetings. 

At  a  meeting  held  in  Newbury,  at  the  tavern  of  Edward  A. 
Richardson,  Lieut.  Benjamin  Lunt  was  chosen  moderator,  and 
Joseph  Gerrish,  Joseph  Coffin,  and  Capt.  Moses  Gerrish  "were 


36  CIVIL  HISTORY.  [1743. 

chosen  a  committee  liumbly  to  beg  the  favor  of  His  Excellency 
Benning  Wentworth,  Esq.,  governor  of  His  Majestie's  province  of 
New  Hamjjshire,  in  New  England,  &c.,  &  that  he  would  please 
order  &  direct  the  same  so  as  may  he  most  advantageous  both 
to  the  government  &  said  proprietors." 

May  20.  Voted  to  raise  £200,  in  bills  of  credit,  to  pay  Eev. 
Mr.  Stevens  for  "  his  sarvice  "  the  year  ensuing. 

Voted,  that  a  man  shall  be  allowed  five  shillings  a  day,  and  four 
shillings  for  a  "  yoak  "  of  oxen. 

Voted,  that  £20  be  worked  out  on  the  highwa}^ 

Voted,  that  John  Brown,  Lieut.  Joseph  Coffin,  and  Ensign 
Joseph  Gerrish  make  sale  of  lands  on  which  taxes  have  not  been 
paid ;  that  Capt.  Ebenezer  Eastman  be  empowered  "  to  clear  & 
brak  up  the  ministry  intervale  lot — the  said  Lot  to  be  cleared 
and  brok  up  the  summer  following."  Surveyors  of  highways, 
fence-viewers,  a  pound-keeper,  and  hogreeves  were  chosen,  and 
£20  raised  for  highways  and  £200  for  contingent  expenses. 

1742.  At  a  meeting  held  September  8,  £200  was  voted  to 
meet  the  minister's  salary,  and  for  other  expenses  ;  and  that  the 
salary  might  be  paid  promptly,  it  was  "  ordered  that  each  propri- 
etor give  a  Note  of  hand  to  pay  his  &  their  dues  sum  of  said  tax, 
and  those  proprietors  and  inhabitants  that  are  obliged  by  contract 
to  pay  tax,  are  to  give  their  notes  to  Ambros  Gould,  who  is  chosen 
to  Gather  said  tax." 

May  18,  1743.  Josiah  Bishop  was  chosen  field-driver  for  the 
middle  intervale,  Nathaniel  Danford  for  the  upper  intervale,  and 
Joseph  Eastman  for  the  lower  intervale.  Thirty  pounds  was 
voted  to  the  highways. 

Voted,  that  the  undivided  meadows  be  divided  for  the  3'ear,  as 
follows, — viz.,  "  that  those  men  who  are  dwellers  at  said  planta- 
tion, shall  mow  or  cut  their  due  proportion  of  said  meadows,  ac- 
cording to  their  rates ;  and  the  remaining  part  of  said  meadow 
shall  be  divided  among  the  inhabitants  in  equality." 

Sept.  14.     Meeting  at  Contoocook ;  John  Brown  moderator. 

Voted  to  lay  out  to  each  proprietor  a  lot  containing  one  hun- 
dred acres  of  land.  This  was  the  third  divisio7i.  Richard  Jack- 
man,  John  Eowler,  John  Coffin,  Ensign  Joseph  Gerrish,  John 
Brown,  and  Thomas  Thorla  were  appointed  a  committee  to  make 
the  division. 


%.* 


(__^yvf'->^^^^i^^t^o^y-?i  fJ^^^i'-^^-a^ry^Z.^^ 


17i3.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  37 

GETTING    READY    FOR     THE    INDIANS. 

For  a  period  of  ten  years  the  inhabitants  hai  lived  in  compara- 
tive security,  hut  now  the  Indians,  stimulated  by  the  French, 
■were  committing  depredations  all  along  the  frontier.  The  citi- 
zens prepared  for  defence,  and  laid  in  a  stock  of  ammunition,  as 
will  he  seen  by  the  record.  Fourteen  pounds  of  powder,  fifty-six 
pounds  of  bullets,  and  twenty-four  flints  were  obtained  by  George 
Jackman  for  the  defence  of  the  settlement. 
[From  the  Records.] 

"  Newbury  Oct  31,  1743.  by  the  desire  of  the  proprietors  I  make  an 
entry  of  the  request  of  Dea  George  Jackman  for  the  warlike  stores  de- 
livered to  him  as  followeth  :  Viz:  we  received  of  henry  Rolfe,jr  four 
pounds  of  gunpowder  &  fifty-six  pounds  of  ballets  and  twenty-four 
flints,  &  we  received  of  Benjamin  pettengiU  ten  pounds  of  powder.  And 
the  said  stores  are  sent  up  by  said  Jackman  for  the  use  of  Contoocook 
proprietors  to  be  kept  in  some  secure  place  together  untill  there  be  an 
Occasion  for  said  stores  to  be  used  in  a  warlike  manner  then  to  be 
distributed  out  according  to  division  of  said  George  Jackman  or  some 
other  person  chosen  for  said  service. 

Joseph  Coffin 

Prop.  Clerk.-' 

FIRST    MILITARY    ORGANIZATION. 

The  people  of  Hopkinton,  and  of  other  towns,  were  abandoning 
their  homes ;  but  the  settlers  of  Contoocook  had  no  intention  of 
leaving.  They  organized  themselves  into  a  military  company, 
and  petitioned  the  governor  to  appoint  the  officers  they  had 
chosen. 
"  To  His  Excellency  &c 

"  AVe  the  Undersigned  Being  Soldiers  of  Contoocook  Do  Humbly 
Desire  Your  Excellency  to  Grant  to  Mr  John  RoUins  of  said  town  a 
Captain's  Commission  &  Likewise  a  Left  &  Insins  Commission  to  two 
other  Men  of  said  town  whom  he  the  sd  Rollins  shall  Nominate  the 
Performance  v/hereof  will  Greatly  oblige  your  Humble  &  Dutiful  Ser- 
vants. 
"  Contoocook  Nov  ye  SD'^i  1743. 

Jacob  Flanders  Thomas  Cook 

Ambrose  Goold  Benjamene  Dudy 

Josiah  Bishop  Thomas  Eastman 

Enos  Bishop  Nathaniel  Danford 

John  EUet  [Elliot]  Jesse  Flanders 


88  CIVIL   HISTORY.  [1743. 

Thomas  Manuel  John  Flanders 

William  Dagiden  Moses  Call 

John  Boin  [Bowen]  Sinkler  Bean 

Jacob  Flanders  jim'or  Daniel  Rolf 

John  Fowler  Daniel  Barker 

Ezekiel  Flanders  William  Danford 

Richard  Flood  John  Call 

John  Johnson  Nathaniel  Meloon 

William  Peters  Samuel  Emmery- 
Andrew  Bohonon                       '         William  Emmery." 
Edward  Fitzgerald 

The  name  of  John  Eollins  does  not  appear  elsewhere  upon  the 
records.  It  may  he  supposed  that  he  was  a  new  comer,  quite 
likely  had  seen  military  service,  and  was  selected  as  captain  on 
that  account.  It  is  not  probahle  that  he  remained  long  in  Con- 
toocook. 

Oct.  17.  Met  at  Contoocook,  hut  without  transacting  any  busi- 
ness, adjourned  to  Oct.  30. 

^'■Voied  that  there  should  be  raised  £126  in  old  tenor  exclusive  of 
the  then  inhabitants  to  pay  the  charges  arisen  already  in  fortifying 
round  the  Reverend  Mr.  Phiueas  Stephens  dwelling  house  in  the  year 
1744." 

PETITION    TO    GOV.    WEXTWOKTH. 

The  inhabitants  sent  the  following  petition  to  Governor  Went- 
worth : 
"To  His  Excellency  Benning  Wentworth  &c. 

"The  Petition  of  ye  Inhabitants  of  a  Plantation  called  Contoocook  in 
ye  s''  province  of  New  Hampshire  Hereby  Sheweth : 

"That  when  as  your  Humble  Petitioners  being  certainly  informed  of  a 
Declaration  of  a  war  Between  ye  Kings  of  England  &  France,  and  There- 
fore Looking  upon  ourselves  as  exposed  continually  to  ye  attacks  of  ye 
Indians,  who  are  subjects  to  ye  King  of  France,  and  we  would  Beg 
Humbly  to  Lay  our  case  before  your  Excellency: 

"  May  it  Please  your  Excellency  we  have  Been  at  Great  expense  & 
Labor  in  Bringing  to  ye  settlements  in  ye  plantation  so  far  as  thay  are 
at  this  time  by  settling  a  gospel  minister,  erecting  Houses,  subduing 
Lands,  and  Bringing  too  a  considerable  Quantity  of  Wilderness  &  in 
erecting  proper  Fortifications  for  Defense  in  case  of  an  Indian  war, 
one  of  which  was  built  in  ye  year  1739,  a  building  of  considerable  ex- 
pense to  ye  proprietors  &  of  great  consequence  to  ye  inhabitants  being 


1744.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  3.9 

100  feet  square  &  all  this  to  advance  ye  Kingdom  of  Christ  in  ye  world 
&  farther  to  enlarge  &  advance  his  Majesty's  Dominions  in  the  Ameri- 
can continent.  We  have  likewise  been  at  great  expense  &  cost  in 
erecting  houses,  to  dwell  in  and  in  moving  from  our  habitation,  the 
most  of  us  into  s''  part  in  order  for  our  security  till  proper  help  shall  ar- 
rive to  us  for  want  of  Avhich  many  persons  have  Removed  &  now  are 
Removing  from  us  to  the  Great  Discouragement  of  those  that  tarry  be- 
hind and  all  tho  we  might  Defend  our  selves  in  our  Fortification  yet  we 
can't  support  our  selves  because  we  have  none  to  guard  us  in  our  Busi- 
ness and  moreover  the  commanding  officer  in  the  place  has  so  far  neg- 
lected the  people  that  they  are  very  uneasy  he  never  having  called  them 
together  since  he  Rec<*  his  commission  Refusing  to  Repair  the  fort  or  to 
take  any  care  of  the  people  in  it  never  setting  a  watch  or  ward  so  that 
the  Inhabitants  are  without  a  leader.  Yet  they  have  constantly  kept  a 
watch  &  ward  in  said  fort  or  garrison.  Those  with  many  others  are  the 
Difficultys  we  Labor  under  two  many  to  be  here  Enumerated  of  which 
we  Humbly  Beg  Redress  of  your  Excellency  in  such  ways  an  raaner  as 
your  Excellency  in  wisdom  shall  think  Best  &  your  humble  Petitioners 
will  ever  pray. 

"  Contoocook,  June  ye  5,  1744. 

Richard  flood  William  Emery 

Richard  Jackman  Moses  Burbank 

John  Cowsir  [Corser?]  Nathaniel  Meloon 

Joseph  Easmau  Ezekiel  Flanders 

John  Fowler  Josiah  Bishop 

Andrew  Bohonon  George  Jackmaa 

Jacob  Flanders  Samuel  Emery" 
Daniel  Rolfe 

THE    FIRST    ATTACK. 

Tlie  first  attack  of  the  Indians  upon  Contoocook  was  made 
about  tliis  time,  tliougli  the  exact  date  is  unknown.  Josiah 
Bishop,  who  was  at  work  in  his  field  at  the  lower  end  of  King 
street,  was  surprised  by  a  party  of  Indians.  They  took  him  into 
the  woods,  probably  up  the  rocky  hill  west  of  the  lower  end  of  King 
street.  He  made  an  outcry,  and  quite  likely  preferred  death 
to  captivity.  As  was  subsequently  learned  from  the  Indians,  he 
resisted  bravely,  and  they  dispatched  him  with  their  tomahawks. 
The  capture  naturally  threw  the  settlement  into  commotion ;  but 
the  citizens  having  located  their  homes,  determined  to  defend 
them.     The  summer  was  one  of  great  anxiety.    The  families  took 


40  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1746. 

refuge  in  tlie  garrisons,  while  sentinels  were  ever  on  the  watch 
while  the  citizens  were  at  work. 

The  committee  appointed  to  lay  out  the  third  division  of  land — 
the  one-hundred-acre  lots — reported  that  they  had  performed  the 
work  assigned  them.  One  hundred  and  twenty-two  pounds,  old 
tenor,  was  voted  to  defray  the  expense  of  the  same. 

Nov.  21.  Meeting  at  John  Mancher's  tavern,  Newbury.  At 
this  meeting  no  business  was  transacted  except  the  choice  of 
assessors  and  collectors. 

THE    CANTERBURY    GARRISON. 

Canterbury  had  erected  a  strong  garrison.  The  settlers  of 
that  plantation  were  equally  determined  with  those  of  Contoo- 
cook  not  to  abandon  their  homes  through  fear  of  the  Indians. 
The  Canterbury  settlement  had  made  greater  progress  than  that 
of  Contoocook,  and  was  much  stronger  in  numbers.  A  garrison 
was  established,  and  Jeremiah  Clough,  one  of  the  energetic  set- 
tlers, commissioned  captain.  Being  on  the  cast  side  of  the  river, 
and  more  accessible  than  Contoocook  to  Portsmouth,  the  residence 
of  the  new  governor,  it  became  the  rendezvous  for  all  scouting 
parties. 

In  the  month  of  June,  Capt.  Clough  had  a  force  of  twenty  men 
under  him,  but  as  the  simimer  waned  it  was  reduced  to  six  men, — 
one  of  whom  was  Philip  Call,  whose  wife  was  murdered  subse- 
quently, as  we  shall  see,  by  the  Indians.  Another  of  his  soldiers 
was  Christo,  a  friendly  Indian,  whose  wigwam  once  stood  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Merrimack,  a  short  distance  below  the  falls  of  Amos- 
keag,  probably  not  far  from  the  spot  now  occupied  by  the  Print 
Works  in  Manchester. 

June  4.  The  proprietors  raised  £250  for  the  salary  of  Mr. 
Stevens  and  other  expenses,  and  the  usual  officers  were  chosen. 

1746.     Early  in  the  year  the  Indians  began  their  depredations. 

THE    OUTBREAK. 

On  April  27,  the  Indians  entered  the  garrison  at  Hopkinton, 
which  had  been  left  insecure  by  some  one  going  out  early  in  the 
morning,  and,  finding  everybody  asleep,  captured  the  entire  house- 
hold, consisting  of  Samuel  Burbank,  his  sons  Caleb  and  Jonathan, 
and  David  Woodwell,  wife,  and  three  children. 


1746. j  CIVIL    HISTORY.  41 

Governor  Wentworth  ordered  a  detacliment  of  horse  to  proceed 
to  Canterbury  and  Contooeook.  Capt.  John  Goffe  was  ordered  to 
raise  fifty  men.  In  six  days  he  was  on  his  way  to  Contooeook, 
leaving  Derry field  on  May  3,  and  reaching  Penacook  that  night. 
But  the  Indians  were  ahead  of  him.  They  fell  upon  a  party  of 
men  at  work  near  Clay  hill,  and  killed  Thomas  Cook,  who  had 
built  a  cabin  on  Little  brook,  about  a  mile  north  of  the  meeting- 
house on  Corser  hill,  and  for  whom  Cook's  hill  was  named.  He 
had  fled  from  that  locality  for  fear  of  the  Indians.  Another  of 
the  party  was  Csesar,  Rev.  Mr.  Stevens's  slave.  He  was  a  strong, 
athletic  man,  and  made  a  brave  fight,  and  lost  his  life  in  conse- 
quence. Another  of  the  party  was  Elisha  Jones,  who  was  taken 
captive,  carried  to  Canada,  and  sold  to  a  Frenchman.  He  died 
wliile  a  prisoner. 

The  attack  was  made  on  Monday,  May  4.  The  news  reached 
Penacook  that  evening,  for  we  find  Capt.  Goffe  at  midnight  writ- 
ing a  letter  to  Gov.  Wentworth. 

CAPT.    GOFFe's    letter. 

"  5  May  1746 
"  May  it  please  your  Excellency 

"  I  got  to  Pennycook  on  Satui'day  early  in  the  morning  &  notwith- 
standing I  sent  the  Monday  after  I  left  the  Bank  [Strawberry  Bank,  or 
Portsmouth?],  yet  my  bread  was  not  baked  but  there  was  about  two 
hundred  &  fifty  weight  baken,  which  supply[ed]  20  men,  which  I  sent  to 
Canterbury  as  soon  as  I  got  here,  &  I  kept  the  baker  &  several 
Soldiers  to  baking  all  Sabbath  day  &  purposed  to  march  on  Mon- 
day as  soon  as  possible ;  but  about  midnight  two  men  came  down  from 
Contooeook  &  brought  the  unhappy  news  of  two  men  being  killed,  & 
the  two  men  that  came  down  told  me  that  they  saw  the  two  men  lye  in 
their  blood,  &  one  man  more  that  was  missing,  &  hearing  that  I  was 
here,  desired  me  to  assist  in  making  search;  so  that  I  am  with  all  ex- 
pedition going  up  to  Contooeook,  &  will  do  what  I  can  to  see  the  en- 
emy. I  shall  take  all  possible  care  for  the  protection  of  the  frontiers  & 
destruction  of  the  enemy.  The  Indians  are  all  about  our  frontiers.  I 
think  there  never  was  more  need  of  soldiers  than  now.  It  is  enough  to 
make  one's  blood  cold  in  one's  veins,  to  see  our  fellow  creatures  killed 
and  taken  upon  every  quarter,  &  if  we  cannot  catch  them  here,  I  hope 
the  Gk;neral  Court  will  give  encouragement  to  go  &  give  them  the  same 
play  at  home.  The  white  man  that  is  killed  is  one  Thomas  Cook  &  the 
other  is  Mr  Steven's  the  minister's  negro.     These  are  found  &  Jones, 


42  CIVIL   HISTORY.  [1746. 

the  soldier  is  not  found.  They  having  but  a  few  soldiers  at  the  fort, 
have  not  as  yet  sought  much  for  him.  I  am  going  with  all  possible 
expedition  &  am 

"  Your  Excellency's  most  humble  &  most  dutiful 

Subject  &  servant 

JOIIX    GOFFE 

"  Pennycook  about  2  of  the  clock  in  the  Morning,  My  5">  1746." 

Goffe  kept  on  the  scout  two  weeks,  but,  as  was  afterwards 
known,  the  Indians  hastened  to  Canada  with  Jones  and  the  cap- 
tives taken  at  Hopkinton.  Tlie  people  of  Contoocook  little  knew 
that  all  through  Sunday  after  the  attack  at  Hopkinton  the  Ind- 
ians were  secreted  on  the  "  Mountain/'  looking  down  upon  the 
garrison  ;  that  they  saw  the  people  as  they  marched  to  meeting, 
each  man  shouldering  his  gun.  The  Indians,  in  numbers,  were 
as  many  as  the  settlers,  but  did  not  dare  attempt  a  surprise. 

Capt.  Goffe  went  up  the  Merrimack,  probably,  as  far  as  Ply- 
mouth. He  was  gone  from  Derryfield  twenty  days.  He  made  a 
second  scout,  and  was  gone  thirteen  days,  but  saw  no  Indians, 
for  the  reason  that  they  had  hastened  to  Canada  with  their  cap- 
tives. 

The  attack  at  Clay  hill  was  in  the  ravine  near  the  crossing  of 
Cold  l)rook,  but  in  the  vicinity  of  the  present  brick-yards. 

In  early  days  it  was  popularly  supposed  that  the  blood-stains  of 
a  murdered  man  never  could  be  effaced ;  and  fifty  j-ears  ago  there 
were  persons  in  town  who  could  discern  the  identical  stains  up- 
on the  rocks,  made  by  the  blood  of  Thomas  Cook.  Persons  of  a 
cooler  temperament  and  less  vivid  imaginations  never  were  quite 
able,  however,  to  distinguish  the  blood-stains  from  those  produced 
by  the  oxidation  of  the  rock. 

On  the  27th  of  June  the  Indians  made  an  attack  on  Eochester, 
killing  four  men  and  capturing  two.  This  attack,  so  near  Ports- 
mouth, produced  great  alarm.  Capt.  Drake,  of  Hampton,  was  or- 
dered out  with  his  company  to  protect  Nottingham.  Capt.  An- 
drew Todd,  of  Londonderry,  with  twenty-three  men,  was  ordered 
to  Canterbury ;  while  Capt.  Daniel  Todd,  of  Exeter,  with  thirty 
men,  was  ordered  to  Contoocook.  Ladd  was  ordered  out  for 
three  months.  He  marched  on  from  Exeter  on  the  14th  of  July. 
His  clerk,  Abner  Clough,  kept  a  journal,  from  which  we  have  a 
clear  account  of  Capt.  Ladd's  movements. 


1746.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  43 

ABNER  CLOUGh's  JOURXAL. 

The  company  left  Exeter  July  14,  reached  Rumford  (Concord) 
on  the  19th,  and  on  the  21st  marched  to  Canterbury.  The 
marches  of  the  23d,  24th,  and  25th  are  thus  narrated : 

"  On  the  23d  day  took  10  more  men — marched  to  Contoocook — so 
ranged  about  the  town,  &  at  night  set  out  several  scouts  in  &  near  the 
houses  near  the  fort,  but  made  no  discovery. 

"  On  the  24th  day  enlisted  two  more  men.  Early  in  the  morning 
marched  about  2  miles  &  discovered  a  fire,  but  as  we  found  out  was 
made  by  Contoocook  men  3  days  before.  And  we  thought  by  the  look 
of  the  fire  that  the  Indians  had  been  there  &  but  a  little  while  gone. 
Then  we  marched  about  half  a  mile  &  then  we  discovered  Indian  tracks 
very  plain.  And  from  there  marched  to  a  place  called  Contoocook 
pond  [Great  pond],  &  scouted  round  about  the  Pond,  but  could 
make  no  discovery.  And  from  thence  toBlackwater  falls.  And  one  of 
our  men  says  he  saw  an  Indian  very  plain  as  he  was  some  distance  from 
the  Scout,  as  he  saith.  And  we  ranged  about  but  could  make  no  fur- 
ther discovery,  then  marched  over  several  brooks  &  low  places,  but  could 
make  no  discovery,  &  so  marched  to  a  river  called  Currier  Sarge  river 
&  found  some  camps  supposed  to  be  Indian  camps,  &  there  camped  in 
the  Intervale.  And  it  rained  hard  all  night.  This  days  march  about 
17  miles. 

"  On  the  25th,  marched  to  a  pond  called  Almsbury  Pond  [Tucker's 
pond]  &  ranged  about  said  pond,  made  no  discovery,  &  from  there 
marched  to  Contoocook  falls,  &  scouted  up&  down  the  river  &  made  no 
discovery  ;  and  crossed  the  river  &  marched  to  a  place  called  Hopkinton 
[near  Hopkinton  viUage]  &  there  camped  about  the  farther  end  of  the 
town  &  that  Fort  where  there  were  e'ght  persons  taken  &  captivated, 
but  we  could  make  no  late  discovery  there,  then  we  marched  down 
about  2  miles  towards  Rumford  to  another  garrison,  where  the  people 
were  deserted  from  &  there  made  a  halt.  Then  scouted  round  a  field, 
then  went  into  the  Garrison  &  in  a  cellar  found  a  mare  and  two  colts, 
which  we  took  them  out  of  the  cellar  alive.  It  was  supposed  by  the 
scouts  in  general  that  the  said  horses  had  been  in  the  cellar  10  days  & 
been  put  in  by  the  Indians.  We  also  discovered  some  part  of  a  dead 
creature  supposed  to  have  been  killed  by  the  Indians  &  left.  At 
night  marched  to  Rumford  &  camped.  This  day's  march  about  16 
miles."  — iV.  H.  Hist.  Soc.  Col,  Vol.  IV. 

The  route  taken  by  Capt.  Ladd  evidently  was  from  the  foot  of 
King  street  across  Cold  brook,  and  towards  Great  pond.  It  is 
probable  that  a  path  had  been  opened  in  that  direction  during 


44  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1746. 

tlie  thirteen  j'-ears  that  the  town  had  been  settled.  Whether  Capt. 
Ladd  passed  round  the  pond  to  the  south,  or  to  tlie  north,  or 
whether  the  Blackwater  falls  were  those  directly  west  of  the  pond, 
or  the  falls  at  SaA' eatt's  mills,  or  b}^  Burhank's  mill,  can  only  be 
conjectured;  but  the  probabilities  are  that  the  "falls"  were  those 
directly  Avest  of  the  pond,  and  the  route  of  the  company  AA-as  along 
the  southern  shore. 

It  is  also  evident  that  the  route  from  the  falls  AA'as  directly  up 
the  riA^er  to  West  Salisbury.  What  stream  Currier  Sarge  river 
may  have  been  is  not  certain, — whether  the  mountain  brook  that 
empties  into  the  BlackAvater  through  the  West  Salisbury  mead- 
ows, or  the  Blackwater  itself;  quite  likely  the  latter.  Abner 
Clougli  Avas  Avholly  unacquainted  Avith  the  country,  and  may  not 
have  clearly  understood  that  Blackwater  falls  were  upon  Black- 
Avater riA^er. 

KEARSAEGE    MOUNTAIN". 

This  reference  to  Currier  Sarge  is  one  of  the  first  on  record. 
The  Indians  called  the  mountain  CoxoisseioaschooJc.  This  name 
is  given  on  Captain  Holland's  map,  printed  in  London,  1784,  also 
the  name  "Kj^ar  Sargu  Mt." 

Although  much  has  been  Avritten  in  regard  to  the  orthography 
of  the  Avord,  there  is  as  yet  nothing  satisfactory  in  regard  to  its 
origin.  From  the  fact  that  Abner  Clough  Avrites  it  "Currier  Sarge,'' 
it  is  evident  that  the  name  was  well  knoAvn  at  that  early  date. 

"  Almsbury  pond "  is  clearly  Tucker's  pond,  in  the  north-east 
corner  of  Warner.  The  toAvn  of  Warner  had  been  granted  in 
1735  to  proprietors  mainly  resident  in  Amesbury,  Mass.,  and  the 
grant  was  called  Amesbury.  The  plot  had  been  survej^ed,  but  no 
settlement  Avas  made  till  1749,  when  four  log  houses  w^ere  erected 
at  the  present  village  of  Davisville,  but  never  were  permanently 
occupied.  They  were  subsequently  burned  by  the  Indians.  No 
other  attempt  Avas  made  to  settle  the  town  till  1764. 

The  route  of  Capt.  Ladd  from  Tucker's  pond  Avas  doAvn  the 
Amesbury  or  Warner  river  to  Contoocookville,  and  thence  to 
Hopldnton  village. 

The  Indians  were  accustomed  to  frequent  the  falls  on  the  riA'ers 
to  catch  salmon,  and  hence  the  moA'ements  of  Capt.  Ladd  to  their 
favorite  haunts. 


...cti^-^^rx^ 


/- 


174G.] 


CIVIL    HISTORY.  45 


Captain  Ladd  went  from  Penacook  to  tlie  Sun  cook  valley,  to 
Epsom,  Nottingham,  and  Exeter,  where  he  arrived  July  31st,  and 
dismissed  his  men  till  the  oth  of  August,  when  he  started  on 
a  second  expedition.  He  reached  Penacook  on  the  10th.  On  the 
11th  occurred  the  massacre  at  Penacook,  on  the  road  leading  to 
Hopkinton,  in  which  Samuel  Bradley,  Jonathan  Bradley,  Obadiah 
Peters,  John  Lufkin,  and  John  Bean  were  killed,  and  Alex- 
ander Eoberts  and  Wm.  Stickney  taken  prisoners.  Daniel  Gil- 
man  escaped,  and  gave  the  alarm  at  the  Penacook  garrison. 

Capt.  Ladd  scoured  the  country.  We  quote  from  Clough's  jour- 
nal of  his  movements  in  Canterbury  and  Contoocook  : 

"Oa  tlie  17tli  day  on  Sunday,  marched  to  Canterbury,  &  went  to 
meeting  some  part  of  the  day.  And  on  the  18th  day  went  down  to  the 
Intervale  in  order  to  guard  some  people  about  some  work,  but  it  rained 
all  day. 

"  On  the  19th  went  to  the  Intervale  to  guard  some  people  about  some 
work.  We  guarded  some  &  scouted  some.  And  on  the  20th  day  it 
rained  in  the  forenoon.  And  in  the  afternoon  we  scouted  some  in  the 
woods  but  made  no  discovery.  But  Capt.  Talford,  with  his  men  discov- 
ered where  there  had  laid  some  Indians  in  ambush,  &  also  found  where 
some  Indians  had  roasted  some  corn.  And  on  the  21st  went  down  to 
the  lower  end  of  the  Town,  to  guard  some  people  about  some  work. 

"  On  the  22d  went  down  to  the  lower  end  of  the  Town  to  guard 
some  people — but  made  no  discovery. 

"  On  the  23d  day  early  in  the  morning,  marched  away  from  the  fort 
in  order  to  go  to  the  Intervale  to  guard  some  people  about  some  work  ; 
but  when  we  had  marched  about  half  a  mile  from  the  fort,  we  marched 
across  a  field  &  found  where  there  lay  two  Indians  &  had  but  just  gone, 
for  the  grass  seemed  to  rise  up  after  them.  We  ranged  about  the 
woods  after  them  ;  but  found  where  several  more  lay  &  where  they  run 
off.  We  supposed  that  these  two  Indians  lay  there  for  spies.  We  went 
to  the  Intervale  &  guarded  some  people  about  work  &  made  no  other 
discovery. 

"  And  on  the  24th  day,  on  Sunday,  marched  along  across  the  woods  to 
the  upper  end  of  Canterbury  lower  Intervale  &  there  crossed  the  river 
and  from  there  to  Contoocook  mills,  &  from  there  ranged  along  the 
woods  to  the  backside  of  Contoocook  mountain,  And  there  ranged  in  a 
single  rank  v.'here  there  were  several  likely  places  for  lookout  for  en- 
emies—And Capt.  Ladd  fell  down  and  hurt  his  leg— something,  But  we 
could  make  no  late  discovery  of  the  enemy.  And  at  night  returned  to 
Canterbury  Fort." 


46  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1747. 

Capt.  Lacld  extended  liis  protection  as  far  east  as  Rochester,  and 
continued  in  service  till  tlie  close  of  September. 

proprietors'  meeting. 

Dec.  15.     Meeting  of  projirietors  at  Contoocook. 

"Voted  to  raise  £240  old  tenor  to  pay  ministerial  and  other 
expenses." 

Voted  to  petition  "  the  great  &  General  Court  of  tlii.s  Province 
praying  that  the  Honorable  Court  would  be  pleased  to  take  our 
distressed  case  under  their  most  prudent  consideration  relating  to 
the  war." 

A  fort  was  built,  during  the  year  1746,  on  the  Winnepisaukee 
river,  near  wliat  is  now  Union  Bridge,  in  Sanbornton,  called  Fort 
Atkinson.  Two  forts  were  also  built  in  the  Connecticut  valley ; 
Fort  Dummer,  at  Hinsdale,  and  the  other,  "  No.  4,"  at  Charlestown. 

PETITION    OF     CONTOOCOOK,  PENACOOK,  AND     CANTERBURY    FOB 
PROTECTION    FROM    INDIANS. 

"To  his   excellency  Benuing   Wentworth    Esq    Captain    General    & 
Governor  &  Commander  iu  chief  in  &  over  His  Majesty's  Province 
of  New  Hampshire, 
"  To  his  Honorable,  his  Majesty's  Council  &  House  of  Representa- 
tives in  General  Assembly  Con  veined  the  12  th  day  of  Sept  1747 
"  The  Petition  of  Phineas  Stevens,  Ebenezer  Eastman  &  Jeremiah 
Clough  in  behalf  of  themselves  &  the  inhabitants  of  Contoocook,  Penny- 
cook  &  Canterbury  in  said  Province  most  humbly  shews: 

"  That  the  said  Place  are  frontiers  &  lay  open  and  exposed  unto  the 
French  &  Indian  Enemy. 

"  That  they  are  not  able  to  protect  &  defend  themselves  in  case  of  a 
vigorous  attack  from  the  Enemy,  which  they  have  reasoa  to  fear  may 
be  the  case  as  soon  as  there  shall  be  snow  sufficient  to  travel  on 
snow  shoes. 

"  That  unless  they  are  protected  the  Inhabitants  will  be  under  a  ne- 
cessity to  break  up  &  leave  their  habitations  &  so  consequently  the  fron- 
tier will  be  best  nearer. 

'^That  your  Petitioners  humbly  conceive  it  will  be  much  better  for 
the  Province  to  have  those  places  Protected  than  to  have  them  broken 
up. 

"Wherefore  your  Petitioners  humbly  pray  your  Excellency  &  Honor 


1747.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  47 

to  take  their  petition  under  wise  consideration  &  be  pleased  to  grant 
such  a  number  of  men  for  each  of  the  before  mentioned  places  &  for 
such  time  as  your  Excellency  &  Honors  shall  seem  most  and  reason- 
able, your  Petitioners  in  duty  bound  shall  ever  pray. 

PiiiNEAS    Stkvexs 


"  In  Council  Nov  12,  1747 

"  Head  &  sent  down  to  the  House, 


Ebknezer  Eastman 
Jeremiah  Clough 


Theodore  Atkixson 

Secy  " 


PROPRIETOKS'    MEETIlSfGS. 

June  30.  Josepli  Coffin,  Joseph  Gerrisli,  and  Moses  Gerrish 
were  chosen  a  committee  "  to  lay  before  his  Excellency  Benning 
Wentworth  Esq  &c  &  honorable  Court  of  his  Majestie's  province 
of  New  Hampshire  the  circumstances  of  said  plantation  as  soon 
as  may  be  convenient." 

Nov.  17.  Raised  £250  old  tenor  for  the  ministry  and  other 
expenses. 

Voted  that  the  expenses  of  the  meeting  be  paid  by  the  whole 
proprietors.  The  expense  amounted  to  40s.  old  tenor — about 
$1.50. 

Joseph  Gerrish  was  authorized  to  petition  the  General  Court 
to  invest  the  proprietors  with  power  to  gather  the  taxes  levied  on 
the  proprietors  of  Contoocook  tliat  lived  on  the  plantation.  Up 
to  this  time  there  had  been  much  difficulty  in  collecting  the 
taxes  of  non-residents,  and  further  legislation  was  necessary. 

Joseph  Coffin  was  allowed  £9  10s.  old  tenor  for  his  services  in 
presenting  the  petition  of  1747  to  the  "  Great  &  General  Court." 

PETITION. 

"  To  His  excellency  Benning  Wentworth  &c 

"  The  Petition  of  the  Proprietors  of  the  Plantation  called  Contoocook 
in  the  Province  of  New  Hampshire  humbly  sheweth  : 

"  That  your  Petitioners  have  had  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  settled 
among  them  for  about  the  space  of  seven  years.  That  notwithstanding 
the  Difficulties  arrising  from  the  War  he  hitherto  has  continued  at  said 
Plantation  and  would  still  continue  there  if  supported  &  maintained  by 
the  Proprietors.     That  for  want  of  a  Law  to  Enable  and  Impower  the 


48  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1747. 

said  Proprietors  to  Raise  money  &  Collect  the  same  for  the  support  of 
the  minister  there  the  Burden  thereof  lyeth  on  a  few  wherefore  your 
Petitioners  most  humbly  pray  your  excellency  and  Honors  that  by  a 
special  act  they  may  be  authorized  and  Iinpowered  thereunto  and  that 
not  only  the  Lands  of  Residents  but  also  of  the  Non  Resident  Proprie- 
tors may  be  rated  towards  the  support  of  the  ministry  there  for  such 
time  and  in  such  Proportion  as  shall  be  judged  reasonable  by  your  ex- 
cellency and  Honors,  &  Your  Petitioners  will  ever  pray  for  the  Grant- 
ing of  said  petition. 

Joseph  Cofkix 

for  &  in  behalf  of  the  Committee  of  said  Proprietors 

"Nov  13,  1747 

"  In  Council  read  &  concurred  and  ordered  to  be  sent  down  to  the 

Honorable  House. 

Theodore  Atkixsox 

Secry." 

CONCORD     GRIST-MILL. 

The  nearest  grist-mill  was  tliat  at  Eumford,  owned  by  Henry 
Lovejoy  and  Baracliias  Farnum,  and  situated  at  Millville.  The 
depredations  of  the  Indians  caused  its  abandonment ;  Avhereupon 
a  petition  was  addressed  to  Gov.  Wentworth,  by  the  citizens  of 
Contoocook,  Canterbury,  and  Eumford,  for  a  company  of  soldiers 
to  protect  it. 
"  To  His  Excellency  &c 

*♦  The  petition  of  the  subscribers  Inhabitants  of  Rumford  Canterbury 
&  Contoocook  Humbly  sheweth  : 

"  That  v/e  especially  at  the  two  last  named  places  are  greatly  dis- 
tressed for  want  of  suitable  Grist  mills ;  that  Henry  Lovejoy  has 
at  great  expense  erected  a  good  mill  at  a  place  most  advantageously 
situated  to  accommodate  the  three  towns;  that  it  is  the  only  mill  in  all 
the  three  towns  that  stands  under  the  command  of  the  guns  of  the 
garrison  ;  that  the  ill  consequences  of  abandoning  the  said  garrison  the 
year  past  has  been  severely  felt  by  us;  that  the  said  Lovejoy  appears 
desirous  of  residing  there  again  provided  he  might  be  favored  with  such 
a  number  of  soldiers  as  just  to  keep  his  garrison  with  a  tolerable  de- 
gree of  safety  &  that  as  additional  encouragement  to  us  to  appear  as 
petitioners  on  his  behalf  to  your  Excellency  &  Honors  to  grant  our  said 
petition,  he  will  become  engaged  with  all  convenient  sped  to  erect  a 
foro-e  for  the  making  of  Bar  Iron  which  may  stand  under  the  command 
of  the  said  garrison;  which  undertaking  would  be  probably  vastley  ad- 
vantar^eous  to  all  the  towns  &  plantations  up  this  way,  as  well  as  the 
general  interest  of  the  Province."' 


1748.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  49 

The  petition  was  signed  by  36  citizens  of  Eumford,  18  of  Can- 
terbury, and  17  of  Contoocook.     Their  names  are 

Stephen  Gerrish,  William  Emery, 

John  Towle,  Joel  Manuel, 

George  Jackman,  John  Flanders, 

Eichard  Jackman,  Philip  Flanders, 

Eichard  Flood,  Stephen  Call, 

Jacob  Flanders,  Eev.  Phineas  Stevens, 

William  Peters,  Nathaniel  Malloon, 

Philip  Caul,  William  Danford. 

John  Corser, 
The  petition  bears  date  Jan.,  1747-8 — meaning  January,  1748. 

LORDS    PROPRIETORS. 

Although  the  settlers  had  received  their  grant  in  due  form 
from  the  government  of  Massachusetts,  they  suddenly  found 
themselves  confronted  by  a  prior  claim, — one  advanced  by  the 
heirs-at-law  of  Capt.  John  Mason,  of  England,  a  powerful  body  of 
men  known  as  Lords  Proprietors.  It  was  the  old  question  of  juris- 
diction, not  between  the  colonies,  but  between  those  in  actual 
possession  and  those  who  claimed  possession. 

At  a  meeting  held  February  1,  Moses  Gerrish,  Joseph  Cofifin, 
and  John  Brown  were  appointed  to  make  terms  with  the  claim- 
ants. The  heirs  of  Mason  had  sold  their  claim  to  all  lands  in  the 
colony  to  twelve  persons  for  the  sum  of  £1,500,  and  these  twelve 
persons  were  called  the  Lords  Proprietors — composed  of  some  of 
the  nobility  of  England.  Quite  likely  the  purchasers  were  looking 
to  their  own  aggrandizement  when  they  made  the  purchase ;  pos- 
sibly they  ma}'-  have  entertained  the  idea  that  they  could  compel 
those  in  possession  to  pay  a  second  time  for  their  lands ;  but  the 
resolute  attitude  taken  by  the  plantations  soon  dispelled  all  such 
illusions,  if  they  had  been  entertained.  They  prudently  abandoned 
all  attempts  to  recover  damages  in  towns  east  of  the  Merrimack, 
but  still  laid  claim  to  those  west  of  that  stream. 

The  committee  opened  negotiations,  which  continued  till  1753, 
when  the  lords  proprietors,  probably  thinking  that  little  could  be 
recovered,  honorably  gave  a  quit-claim  deed,  and  the  settlers 
remained  in  possession  of  the  lands. 

A  cessation  of  hostilities  had  been  agreed  upon  between  France 
4 


50  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1748. 

and  England,  but  the  settlers  relaxed  none  of  their  vigilance,  in 
regard  to  the  Indians,  during  the  jeav.  Most  of  them  lived  in 
or  near  the  garrison. 

THE    BEGIJfXING    OF    RELIGIOUS    DISSENT. 

At  the  meeting  of  tlie  iiroprietors,  held  May  25,  £250  was 
raised  for  the  support  of  the  ministry.  One  of  the  proprietors, 
Samuel  Fowler,  Esq.,  entered  his  dissent  against  such  an  appro- 
priation of  money.  Mr.  Fowler  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Friends, 
and  his  dissent  did  not  lie  in  any  factious  opposition  to  preaching. 
He  was  a  w^orthy  gentleman — had  the  welfare  of  the  settlement 
at  heart — hut  he  was  opposed  to  all  union  of  church  and  state, 
and  conscientiously  desired  a  separation  of  civil  and  ecclesiastical 
affairs.  He  was  a  proprietor,  residing  at  Newbury,  though  at  a 
later  period  he  removed  to  Contoocook.  He  entered  his  protest, 
but  paid  his  money,  and  doubtless  rejoiced  that  the  people  could 
have  preaching;  but  he  w^anted  voluntary  and  not  compulsory 
action.  Fifty  years  later  the  whole  community  came  to  the  same 
conclusion. 

jSTov.  30.  A  meeting  of  the  proprietors  was  held  at  John 
Mancher's  tavern,  in  Newbury.  A  committee,  consisting  of  Ben- 
jamin Lunt,  Henry  Eolfe,  Jr.,  John  Brown,  and  Capt.  Joseph 
Gerrish,  was  chosen  to  settle  with  Joseph  "Willet  and  Benjamin 
Pettengill,  former  collectors,  "  and  examine  how  much  they  have 
paid  Reverend  Mr.  Phineas  Stevens  in  their  collection."  The 
committee  was  empowered  to  settle  with  Mr.  Stevens,  and  report 
at  the  next  meeting. 


C/c^^ 


A, 


1750.] 


OHAPTEK  lY. 

THE  FRENCH  AND  INDIAN  WAR. 

^^HE  annual  meeting  of  the  proprietors  was  held  at  Contoo- 
^^  cook,  May  24.  The  chief  item  of  interest  was  the  report  of 
the  committee  appointed  in  ISTovemher  to  settle  with  Rev.  Mr. 
Stevens.  It  appears  that  Mr.  Stevens  had  been  paid  his  salary 
in  bills  of  credit.  Technically,  he  had  received  his  due ;  but  the 
bills  of  credit  had  greatly  depreciated,  and  the  high-minded  citi- 
zens felt  that  he  was  justly  entitled  to  remuneration.  He  prefer- 
red no  claim ;  but  higher  than  any  legal  claim  was  the  moral 
obligation  to  do  justly.  The  settlers  and  proprietors  fully  recog- 
nized it.     The  committee  reported  as  follows  : 

"  That  by  reason  of  the  depreciation  of  the  bills  of  credit  in  which 
Mr  Steven's  salary  had  been  paid  he  has  a  just  claun  on  them  for  in- 
demnity &  that  £300  Old  tenor  be  paid  him." 

ho:n'orable  action. 

Samuel  Fowler,  Esq.,  before  mentioned,  entered  his  protest  in 
writing.  It  was,  as  before,  a  question  of  conscience — the  severing 
of  church  and  state — with  him,  not  of  hostility  to  Mr.  Stevens, 
or  of  indifference  to  the  claims  of  religion,  or  the  benefits  arising 
from  a  settled  ministry.     It  was  a  protest  for  a  vital  principle. 

The  proprietors  recognized  Mr.  Eowler's  right  of  protestation, 
and  also  his  rights  of  conscience.  They  at  once  abated  his  tax, 
thus  showing  their  own  liberal  principles.  They  were  in  no  sense 
bigots,  but  in  this  year — 1750 — recognized  the  great  j^rinciple  of 
individual  freedom,  fifty  years  in  advance  of  its  recognition  by  the 
community  at  large. 

Mr.  Fowler  soon  after  moved  from  Newbury  to  Contoocook,  and 


52  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1752. 

became  a  useful,  public-spirited,  liberal  citizen.  Although  taxes 
for  the  support  of  the  minister  were  afterwards  assessed  upon  him, 
it  was  as  a  matter  of  form,  in  compliance  with  the  law,  and  they 
were  uniformly  abated.  Mr.  Fowler  was  a  lawyer — the  first  of 
the  profession  in  the  town. 

The  proprietors  had  already  petitioned  to  be  incorporated  as  a 
town,  but  the  petition  had  not  been  granted.  A  second  applica- 
tion was  made  during  the  year,  but  without  success. 

]May  22,  1751.  The  proprietors  met,  and  chose  the  usual  offi- 
cers, and  voted  to  open  a  way  to  the  upper  intervale — the  way 
now  used,  leading  from  King  street,  a  short  distance  south  of  the 
present  meeting-house  on  the  Plain. 

The  proprietors  were  assessed  ten  shillings,  old  tenor.  A  tax 
was  levied  sufficient  to  pay  the  salary  of  Mr.  Stevens  for  the 
year. 

THE    SECOND    FORT. 

1752.  The  chief  item  of  interest  in  the  call  for  the  annual 
meeting  of  the  proprietors  was  the  erection  of  a  second  fort.  The 
meeting  was  held  May  20,  and  the  following  vote  was  passed : 

"  Voted  to  raise  £200  old  tenor  to  be  laid  out  in  building  a  garrison 
or  fort  &  to  be  built  forthwith  and  to  be  set  on  Samuel  Gerrish's  lot 
which  was  originally  laid  out  unto  Richard  Greenough  said  fort  to  be 
one  hundred  &  ten  feet  Square  or  otherwise  as  the  committee  shall 
Judge  allowing  said  building  to  cover  the  land." 

The  sum  of  £100  was  raised  to  fortify  Eev.  Mr.  Stevens's 
house. 

This  second  fort  was  erected  on  the  hill  near  the  house  occu- 
pied by  Prof.  Jackman.  Mr.  Stevens's  house  stood  upon  the  site 
of  that  at  present  occupied  by  Mr.  Jacob  Hosmer. 

Messrs.  Stephen  Gerrish,  Jacob  Flanders,  and  Pochard  Jackman 
were  placed  in  charge  of  the  work.  It  is  probable  that  this  forti- 
fication stood  on  the  site  of  the  smaller  fort,  erected  during  the 
previous  troubles,  on  Mr.  Jackman's  land. 

SABATIS    AXD    PLANSAWA. 

The  Indians  accustomed  to  frequent  the  Merrimack  valley  were 
the  Arosaguntacook  tribe,  or  the  St.  Prancis  Indians,  many  of 
whom  had  accepted  Christianity  from  the  Jesuit  fathers,  with  St. 


1752.] 


CIVIL    HISTORY.  53 


Francis  as  their  patron  saint.  Tlieir  Christianity  was  not  very 
deep :  it  did  not  tonch  the  heart  or  life,  hnt  was  an  exchange  of 
"  Medicines."  The  Virgin  Mary  and  St.  Francis  became  their 
new  "Medicines." 

Since  1749  they  had  been  on  friendly  terms  with  the  settlers  at 
Contoocook  and  Canterbury,  came  and  went  at  their  pleasure, 
and  were  kindly  treated.  Two  of  them,  Sabatis  and  Plansawa, 
were  frequent  visitors.  Their  names,  doubtless,  are  corruptions. 
Sa-batis  is  the  Indian  pronunciation  of  Jean  Baptiste ;  while 
Plansawa,  or,  more  correctly,  Plawnsawa,  is  the  Indian  form  of 
Francois.  The  St.  Francis  tribe  used  P  instead  of  S,  and  L  in- 
stead of  K,  in  their  attempts  to  pronounce  the  names  given  them 
by  the  Jesuit  fathers.     Ballard— JSF.  H.  Hist.  Soc,  viii,  U3- 

'  The  settlers  of  the  Connecticut  valley  were  making  prepara- 
tions to  occupy  the  rich  meadows  of  the  great  "  ox-bow,"  at  Hav- 
erhill and  Newbury,  ascending  the  Connecticut  from  "No.  4," 
Charlestown ;  and  the  Indians,  jealous  of  what  they  regarded  an 
encroachment  upon  their  domain,  threatened  retaliation.  Sud- 
denly Sabatis  and  Plansaw^a  disappeared,  carrying  off  as  pri.-^on- 
ers  two  slaves, — one  belonging  to  Mr.  Miles,  and  the  other  to  Mr. 
Lindsey,  of  Canterbury.  One  of  the  negroes  made  his  escape, 
while  the  other  was  taken  to  Crown  Point,  and  sold  to  a  French 
officer. 

BEGINNING    OF    TROUBLES. 

At  this  time  the  sturdy  frontiersmen  engaged  in  hunting  dur- 
ing the  autumn  and  winter  months.  Among  others  who  passed 
through  Contoocook  to  the  upper  Merrimack,  and  its  tributaries 
and  connecting  ponds,  were  Jolm  and  William  Stark,  of  Derry- 
field ;  also,  David  Stinson  and  Amos  Eastman.  John  Stark 
was  twent3'--six  years  old,  having  been  born  on  August  28,  1728. 
The  four  hunters  proceeded  up  Baker's  river  to  the  present  town 
of  Rumney.  They  discovered  an  Indian  trail,  and  decided  to 
leave  the  locality.  John  went  out,  on  April  28,  to  take  up  his 
traps.  While  thus  engaged,  he  found  himself  surrounded  by  Ind- 
ians. He  made  no  attempt  to  escape,  and  gave  himself  up  with- 
out resistance.  The  Indians  asked  him  to  lead  the  Avay  to  the 
camp,  and  he  took  them  in  the  opposite  direction.  The  other 
hunters,  alarmed  at  his  absence,   started  down  the  river.     The 


54  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1752. 

Indians,  discovering  the  trick  John  had  played  them,  hastened 
down  the  valley,  and  intercepted  the  hunters  the  next  morning  at 
daybreak.  Eastman  was  on  the  shore,  and  was  at  once  captured. 
William  Stark  and  Stinson  were  in  a  boat.  The  river,  though 
swollen  by  melting  snows,  is  at  the  best  a  small  stream,  and  a 
stroke  of  the  paddle  would  carry  the  boat  to  either  shore.  John 
called  to  them,  and  told  them  to  leap  to  the  other  bank.  William 
obeyed,  and  escaped  :  Stinson  was  killed  while  in  the  boat.  The 
bullet  aimed  at  William  missed  him,  but  passed  through  the  pad- 
dle which  he  held,  for  John  had  fearlessly  struck  aside  the  gun  in 
the  hands  of  the  Indian.  William  arrived  in  Contoocook  the  next 
day,  and  gave  the  alarm.  A  party  went  up  from  Contoocook  and 
Kumford,  and  found  Stinson's  body,  stripped  of  its  clothes,  and 
scalped.  The  Indians  had  fled.  The  party  returned  in  safety, 
bringing  the  paddle  which  had  been  pierced  by  the  ball  aimed 
at  William.  John  was  taken  to  Canada,  where,  when  called 
upon  to  run  the  gauntlet,  he  seized  a  cudgel  from  the  hands 
of  the  nearest  Indian,  swung  it  right  and  left,  and  laid  about  him 
so  lustily  that,  instead  of  beating  him,  they  made  all  haste  to 
escape  his  blows.  Such  intrepidity  made  him  a  great  favorite. 
He  was  set  to  work  with  the  squaws  to  hoe  corn ;  but  he  cut  up 
corn  and  weeds  alike,  and  ended  the  matter  by  throwing  the  hoe 
into  the  river.  That  pleased  the  Indians,  and  he  had  a  light  cap- 
tivity, which  ended  in  August  following. 

These  incursions  of  the  Indians  kept  the  settlement  in  constant 
alarm  ;  but  the  season  passed  without  an  attack. 

APPKEXTICES. 

At  this  period,  and  for  nearly  a  century  thereafter,  apprentices 
were  bound  to  service  by  legal  indentures.  The  duties  and  obli- 
gations of  a  party  taking  an  apprentice  will  be  seen  from  an  in- 
denture, given  in  this  year  1752,  by  Nathaniel  Meloon : 

"  Contoocook  Oct  19,  1752 

"  I  the  subscriber  Nathaniel  Meloon  Promise  &  Engage  to  Use  my 
Endeavor  to  Instruct  John  Harris  in  Husbandry  work  from  y«  day  of 
the  date  hereof  till  he  is  of  the  age  of  twenty  one  years  and  during  the 
whole  of  sd  Time  to  provide  for  &  give  to  sd  Harris  Sufficient  Meat, 
drink,  washing  Lodging  &  Clothing  also  to  teach  or  cause  him  to  be 
taught  to  read,  write  &  Cypher  if  he  be  capable  of  Learning  and  at  the 


1753.] 


CIVIL    HISTORY.  55 


age  of  twenty  one  years  to  dismiss  sd  Harris  &  give  him  two  New 

Suits  of  Apparrel  Home  Made  from  head  to  feet,— and  upon  failure  of 

any  of  the  Above  Articles  do  hereby  bind  and  oblige  myself  to  pay  to 

Stephen  Gerrish  of  Contoocook  the  Sam  of  one  hundred  pounds  l.aw- 

fuU  Money.    In  confirmation  of  all  which  I  have  hereunto  set  ray  hand 

the  day  &  year  above  written 

Nathaniel  Meloon 

"Testis 

"Phineas  Stevens." 

NEW    STYLE. 

In  order  to  rectify  the  errors  that  had  groAVii  into  the  calendar  of 
the  year  by  the  procession  of  the  equinoxes_.  Pope  Gregory  XIII 
established  a  new  one,  October  5,  1582,  in  which  ten  days  were 
omitted.  The  New  Style  was  adopted  in  France,  Spain,  Denmark, 
and  Portugal  the  same  year;  hut  England,  being  a  Protestant 
country,  held  on  to  the  old  calendar  till  1752,  when  by  act  of 
Parliament  eleven  days  were  stricken  out  to  make  the  calendar 
compare  with  that  of  other  countries, — thus  establishing  the  New 
Style. 

ROAD    TO    COOS. 

A  connnittee  was  appointed  by  the  N.  H.  Assembly  to  sur- 
vey and  mark  a  road  to  Coos.  It  consisted  of  Zacheus  Love- 
well  of  Dunstable,  John  Talford  of  Chester,  and  Caleb  Page  of 
Starkstown.  They  hired  sixteen  men  at  Amoskeag,  Penacook, 
and  Contoocook.  The  party  was  out  twenty^-two  days.  Jonathan 
Burbank,  Benjamin  Eastman,  and  Peter  Bowen  joined  it  from 
Contoocook.  John  Stark  was  the  pilot,  and  one  of  the  men  was 
Robert  Eogers,  afterwards  the  celebrated  ranger. 

THE    CURRENCY. 

Ma^y  30.  Voted  to  raise  a  sum  sufficient  to  pay  Mr.  Stevens, 
according  to  the  original  agreement. 

"  Voted  to  raise  eight  pounds  lawful  money  equal  to  £00  old  tenor, 
to  defray  necessary  charges." 

From  this  vote  we  are  able  to  ascertain  the  value  of  the  cur- 
rency. This  depreciation  added  greatly  to  the  hardships  of  the 
colonists.  The  Indians  were  troublesome,  and  many  families 
were  obliged  to  remove  to  the  garrison,  the  men  going  out  in 
companies  to  work  on  their  farms. 


56 


CIVIL    HISTORY. 


[1753. 


Ill  connection  v.'itli  tliis  meeting  there  is  tlie  following  record : 
"  Whereas  there  is  several  men  in  this  Society  that  hath  proposed  to 
work  on  the  highways  Gratis,  Jacob  Flanders  is  choose  to  take  a  suit- 
able time  to  invite  said  men  to  work  on  the  way  called  Ciay  hill,  and 
take  the  names  of  them  that  v/orketh." 

Kotwithstanding  the  hardships  of  the  time,  the  colonists  were 
prompt  in  two  things, — in  paj'ing  the  minister  every  shilling 
in  accordance  with  the  original  agreement,  and  improving  their 
highways.  They  were  also  prompt  in  looking  after  the  claim  set 
up  l)y  the  heirs  of  Capt.  John  Mason.  Joseph  Coffin,  Joseph  Ger- 
rish,  and  John  Fowler  were  appointed  "  to  wait  on  the  Lords  & 
see  on  what  terms  they  will  acquit  their  title  to  said  township." 

THE    KILLING    OF    SABATIS    AND    PLANSAWA. 


I. 


X 


During  the  summer,   Sahatis  and  Plansawa,    who  had  stolen 
the    negroes  from   Canterbury,    made  their  appearance  in    Con- 

toocook  with  furs  for  sale.  After 
being  in  the  vicinity  for  some  time, 
they  suddenly  disappeared;  and  ru- 
mor soon  reported  that  Peter  Bowen 
and  John  Morril  had  killed  them. 
Their  bodies  were  found  buried  near 
Stirrup  Iron  brook.  The  Northern 
Railroad  passes  over  the  spot.  At 
the  time  of  the  construction  of  the 
road,  in  1846,  a  small  image  was 
thrown  up  by  the  workmen,  which  is 
now  in  the  museum  of  the  Essex  In- 
stitute, Salem,  Mass.  It  undoubtedly 
was  a  "  Medicine"  or  charm  possess- 
ed by  one  of  the  Indians,  and  which 
was  usually  carried  in  a  bag  gaily 
Vj    .  /     decorated    with    beads    and    colored 

__.._^_  ...^      porcupine  quills.     It  is  hardly  prob- 

"  INDIAN  MEDICINE."  ^})\q  that  the  image  is  the  ideal  of  an 
Indian  artist,  but  more  likely  that  of  a  French  Canadian  priest. 
The  Jesuits,  in  their  Christianizing  of  the  Indians,  made  use  of 
various  instrumentahties  pandering  to  the  superstitions   of  the 


1754.] 


CIVIL    HISTORY.  57 


aborigines ;  and  tliis  image,  in  all  probability,  was  a  Jesuit  "  Med- 
icine." 

ACTION"    OF    THE    GOVERNOR. 

The  Indians  were  killed  during  a  period  of  peace  between 
France  and  England.  Eumors  of  the  murder  became  wide-spread, 
and  Gov.  Shirley  of  Massachusetts  was  apprehensive  that  the  Ind- 
ians would  take  revenge  upon  the  frontier.  The  act  of  Bo  wen 
became  an  inter-colonial  question,  resulting  in  correspondence  be- 
tween Gov.  Shirley  and  Gov.  Wentworth,  involving  legislative 
action,  the  arrest  of  Bowen  and  Morril,  and  a  general  excitement 
throughout  the  community.  Gov.  Shirley  began  it, — the  people 
of  Massachusetts,  or,  rather,  His  Excellency,  being  more  exer- 
cised in  regard  to  it  than  any  one  in  New  Hampshire.  He  sent 
a  letter  to  Gov.  Wentworth  : 

"Boston  Feb  -i"^  1754 

''Sir 

"Your  excellency  may  remember  my  letter  to  you  dated  17"^  of 
September  last  wherein  I  acquainted  you  with  an  account  we  had  of  a 
barbarous  MurOier  said  to  be  committed  within  the  Province  of  New  Hamp- 
shire upon  two  Indians  of  a  tribe  in  amity  with  the  Encjii.sh.  I  was  afraid 
it  had  then  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  Indians,  &  that  complaint 
would  Lave  been  made  at  the  conference,  but  no  notice  was  taken  of  it 
then.  I  have  this  day  received  a  letter  from  Capt  Lithgow  of  Fort 
Eichmond  [in  Maine]  advising  me  that  it  is  nov.-  come  to  their  knowl- 
edge &  that  they  are  determined  to  revenge  the  murtlier. 

"  I  shall  send  your  excellency  copy  of   his  letter  so  far  as  relates  to 

this  affair.    It  will  probably  be  attended  [with  disastrous]  consequences 

to  the  Frontier  of  one  or  both  of  the  Provinces  if  this  murther  be  not 

detected   &  punished.      I  will  send  to  Col.  Minot  v.-ho  gave  me  the 

first  Information  &  desire  him  to  obtain  all  further  information  possible 

&  transmit   it  by  the  next  Post,  until  when   your  excellency   has  some 

knowledge  of  the  Persons  concerned  so  as  to  be   able   to  secure  them. 

I  doubt  not  you  will  think  it  prudent  to  keep  the  affair  as  private  as 

may  be.     I   am  with  great  respect,  Sir  your  Excy^  most  Humb'  and 

most  Obedient  serv' 

"  W.  Shirley." 

On  the  9th  of  February,  Gov.  Shirley  sent  a  second  letter  urging 
that  "justice  be  done  to  the  Indians  in  this  unhappy  affair." 
The  action  of  Gov.  Shirley  was  based  on  the  affidavits  of  three 


58  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1754. 

citizens  of  Massachusetts  who  had  been  visiting  Contoocook  and 
vicinity,  and  who  had  talked  with  Bowen  in  regard  to  the  mat- 
ter. 

AFFIDAVITS    OF    THOMAS    BARRET   AXD    EPHRAIM   JONES. 

"  Thomas  Barret  &  Ephraim  Jones,  both  of  lawful  age  testify  &  de- 
clare that  in  the  month  of  August  1753  being  in  the  town  of  Rumford 
in  the  Province  of  New  Hampshire  at  the  house  of  Henry  Lovejoy. 

"  That  two  Indians  one  named  Sabbatis  &  the  other  Plansawa  came 
to  said  Contoocook  about  the  beginning  of  June  &  having  the  value  of 
about  two  hundred  Pounds  Old  Ten''  in  Beavers  &  other  effects:  that 
said  Sabbatis  being  known  to  be  one  of  the  two  Indians  who  took  two 
Negroes  at  that  settlement  the  year  before  &  carried  one  of  them  to 
Canada,  the  other  making  his  escape,  the  said  Bowen  procured  a  gallon 
of  Rum  from  Rumford  &  he  with  one  or  two  others,  whose  names  I  do 
not  remember  gave  said  Indians  rum  very  freely  &  took  an  opportunity 
to  draw  the  charges  out  of  the  Indian's  [guns]  without  their  knowledge 
&  then  went  with  them  into  the  woods  &  getting  some  distance  apard 
said  Bowen  had  an  engagement  with  said  Sabbatis  who  it  is  said  flashed 
his  gun  at  him  &  the  sd  Bowen  struck  his  hatchet  in  sd  Indian  Head 
then  chopped  him  several  times  in  the  Back  &  afterwards  with  a  knife 
stabbed  him  to  death.  The  other  Indian  coming  up  to  him  begged 
him  that  he  would  not  kill  him  but  sd  Bowen  without  speaking  to  him 
struck  him  on  the  head  &  killed  him  on  the  spot  &  leaving  him  by  the 
Path  side  till  next  morning  it  is  said  that  Bowen  with  his  son  as  it  is 
supposed  went  &  dug  a  hole  by  the  Path  side  &  threw  them  into  it  & 
covered  them  with  earth  but  so  shallow  that  the  dogs  or  other  creatures 
uncovered  them  &  the  bones  have  often  been  seen  since. 

Thomas  Barret 
Ephraim  Jones. 

"Middlesex  ss. 

"  Concord  Feb  9,  1754. 

"  Then  the  above  Thomas  Barret  &  Ephraim  Jones  came  before  me 
the  subscriber  &  made  oath  to  the  truth  of  the  foregoing  declarations. 

'■'  James  Minot  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

"  Eleazer  Melvin  of  lawful  age  testitieth  &  declares  that  he  heard  the 
substance  of  the  foregoing  Declaration  or  to  the  same  purport  in  Aug 
last  from  iNIr.  Lovejoy  &  some  others  &  further  declares  that  about  the 
same  time  in  conversation  with  sd  Bowen  he  asked  him  concerning  the 


1754.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  59 

sd  Indians  whether  they  were  certainly  dead  &  he  answered  he  would 
warrant  it  &  that  they  never  would  do  any  more  mischief  to  the  English 
or  to  that  effect  &  if  he  killed  them  he  did  it  in  his  own  defence  as  he 
could  prove. 

"  Eleazer  Melvin." 

LIBERATION    OF    THE    PRISONERS. 

Upon  tlie  receipt  of  these  affidavits,  Gov.  Wentwortli  caused 
the  arrest  of  Boweix  and  Morril,  who  were  taken  to  Portsmouth, 
and  confined  in  the  jail.  Tlie  time  for  their  trial  -was  fixed  for 
Thursday,  the  21st  of  March. 

The  offence  of  Bowen  and  Morril  was  not  so  great  in  the  eyes 
of  the  citizens  of  Contoocook  and  Canterbury,  as  in  the  eyes  of 
Gov.  Shirley.  Quite  a  party  of  them  visited  Portsmouth,  to  be 
present  at  the  trial,  or,  rather,  before  the  trial.  During  the  night 
before  the  assembling  of  the  court,  about  one  hundred  men,  armed 
with  axes  and  crow-bars,  broke  open  the  jail,  knocked  the  irons 
from  tlie  limbs  of  the  prisoners,  and  set  them  at  liberty.  What 
citizens  of  Contoocook  took  part  in  the  affair  is  not  known,  ex- 
cept that  the  leader  was  Simeon  Ames,  of  Canterbury. 

GOV.    WENTWORTIl's    MESSAGE. 

The  governor  brought  the  affair  to  the  notice  of  the  council  the 
next  morning. 

[From  the  Council  Records.] 

"  His  excellency  acquainted  the  Council  that  the  high  sheriff  of  the 
Province  had  informed  him  that  at  two  of  the  clock  in  the  morning  of 
this  present  day  a  number  of  persons  to  the  amount  of  one  hundred  or 
more  made  an  attempt  upon  the  Province  Gaol  with  axes,  iron  crows  & 
broke  open  the  doors  of  the  prison  &  rescued  the  prisoners  indicted  for 
the  murther  of  two  Indians  said  to  be  killed  at  or  near  Contoocook  Vis — 
John  alias  Anthony  Bowen  &  John  Morrel  &  aided  &  assisted  them  the 
said  Bowen  &  Morrel  in  their  escape — His  Excellency  then  desired  the 
Council  what  steps  they  thot  necessary  or  proper  to  be  taken  in  the  affair 
in  order  to  the  apprehending  the  said  Bofren  or  Morrel  or  either  of  them 
&  bringing  the  persons  who  broke  open  the  Gaol  as  aforesaid  or  was  aid- 
ing or  assisting  in  the  said  breach  or  rescous  the  Council  apprehended 
that  such  a  number  of  persons  as  were  supposed  to  be  the  authors  of 
the  rescous  must  be  many  of  them  known  &  as  it  is  suggested  that  some 


60  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1754. 

of  them  are  known  &  may  be  brought  to  justice  without  offering  any 
reward — but  with  respect  to  the  two  Prisouers  Bowen  &  Morrel  that 
his  excellency  be  advised  &  desired  to  issue  a  Proclamation  offering  a 
reward  of  two  hundred  pounds  Old  Ten"'  to  any  person  or  persons  that 
shall  apprehend  the  sd  Bowen  &  the  like  sum  of  £200  in  Old  Ten^  to  any 
person  or  persons  that  shall  apprehend  the  sd  Morrel  &  bring  them  or 
either  of  them  to  his  Majesty's  Gaol  in  Portsm°  &  all  necessary  charges 
in  bringing  the  said  prisoners  or  either  of  them  to  the  said  Gaol." 

Gov.  Wentworth  also  sent  a  message  to  the  assembly,  asking 
that  body  to  aid  in  npholding  the  dignity  of  the  state. 

THE    OTHER    SIDE    OF    THE    STORY. 

The  citizens  of  Contoocook  and  Canterbury  bestirred  themselves 
to  present  their  side  of  tlie  story.  Col.  Joseph  Blanchard,  justice 
of  the  peace  in  Bedford,  visited  Canterburj-,  and  took  deposi- 
tions. 

"  Elisabeth  Miles  Wife  oi  Josiali  Miles  of  Canterbury  in  the  Province 
of  New  Hampshire  Testifies  &  says — That  some  time  in  the  month  of 
May  1752  two  St  Francis  Indians  (as  they  called  themselves)  named 
Sabbattis  &  Christo  came  to  Canterbury  Sabbattis  made  his  General 
Lodging  at  the  said  Josiah's  House  for  Eight  or  Ten  Days  &  was 
Treated  with  all  Possible  Friendship  &  Courtesy,  Notwithstanding 
the  said  Sabbattis  often  Discovered  a  Restless  &  Malicious  Disposition 
&  Several  Times  (Her  husband  being  absent)  with  Insulting  threats 
put  her  in  very  great  Fear.  Constantly  kept  a  long  knife  Naked  in  his 
hand  and  on  seeing  any  man  come  towards  the  House  (of  which  he  kept 
a  constant  watch)  arni'd  himself — That  the  evening  after  he  went  away 
a  Negro  man  of  the  said  Josiah's  was  taken  (named  Peer)  and  another 
belonging  to  James  Lindsey  of  Canterbui-y  aforesaid  Named  Tom  and 
carried  away  said  Peer  of  the  value  of  five  hundred  pounds  Old  Tenor 
at  the  least. 

"  That  the  said  Peer  about  three  days  after  return'd  pinion'd  & 
Bound  with  Indian  Lines  and  said  that  Sabbattis  and  Christo  had  taken 
them  and  that  by  accident  he  made  his  Escape. 

"  That  sometime  in  tlie  month  of  May  1753  she  was  going  to  the  field 
and  an  Indian  (named  Plansaway)  spoke  to  her  behind  a  Fence  &  asked 
for  her  husband  who  was  there  at  work  close  by,  her  husband  enquired 
what  company  he  had  and  he  said  Sabbattis,  he  enquired  what  he  came 
for  or  how  he  dare  come  (meaning  Sabbattis)  he  evaded  an  answer, 
her  husband  Desired  him  to  go  into  the  house  (being  vehemently  sus- 
picious they  were  designed  for  Further  Mischief)  where  he  kept  him 


>^^^ 


1754.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  61 

that  night  and  urged  the  appearance  of  Sabbattis,  Plausaway  said  he 
-was  afraid  that  he  or  Liudsey  would  kill  hiui  for  stealing  their  negroes 
the  year  Before. 

"  That  after  assurance  that  if  he  made  his  appearance  he  should  not 
be  hurt.  'Next  day  searching  in  the  woods  found  him  and  after  a  par- 
ley he  came  in — 

''  The  wife  of  James  Liudsey  a  near  neighbor,  hearing  the  Indians 
was  there  came  to  the  house  (the  Englishmen  were  all  gone  out  to  work) 
and  finding  Sabbattis  there  said  Lindsey's  wife  urged  his  ingratitude 
that  after  he  had  received  so  much  kindness  at  their  house  to  commit 
such  a  Villanous  Act  as  to  Rob  her  of  her  slave- with  some  Few  more 
words  to  the  same  Purpose  Both  the  Indians  immediately  armed  them- 
selves with  their  guns  Sabbattis  with  a  long  knife  and  Plausaway  with 
a  Hatchet  and  with  a  furious  Gesture  Insulted  her  holding  the  Hatchet 
over  her  head  making  attempts  as  if  he  would  strike  and  told  her  if  she 
said  one  word  more  about  it  he  would  split  her  brains  out  if  he  died  for 
it  the  next  minute — Sabbattis  went  out  to  her  husband  in  the  field  and 
told  liim  that  if  he  ever  see  the  said  Lindseys  wife  any  more  he  would 
kill  her  be  the  event  what  it  would  (as  her  husband  then  told  her)  that 
the  said  Sabbattis  insisted  that  the  said  negro  was  Lawful  Plunder  the 
Deponent  sold  the  said  Indians  two  shirts  &  happened  to  see  them  when 
they  shirted  and  there  was  next  [their]  skin  Tyed  a  Number  of  small 
Meturap  Lines  not  such  as  are  usually  made  for  Tying  Packs — a  collar 
of  a  Length  about  suthcient  to  go  around  a  Mans  Neck  and  as  she  then 
apprehended  was  what  is  called  Captive  Lines — 

"  That  the  Deponent  and  her  husband  frequently  seeing  them  un- 
common Lines  Asked  what  Business  Sabbattis  and  he  could  have  there 
as  they  had  not  brought  their  packs  for  trade — at  length  Plausaway 
said  he  had  a  kinsman  (named  Sabbattis)  who  had  at  Cape  Sable  ivilled 
an  Indian  and  that  they  agreed  for  his  Redemption  (being  held  by 
them)  to  pay  five  hundred  pounds  to  get  an  English  Slave. 

"That  Sabbattis  being  his  Namesake  offered  to  assist  him  in  the  Re- 
demption and  said  the  Hunting  was  best  this  way. 

"  That  the  Indian  must  be  released  by  the  money  or  other  ways  (by 
Summer)  or  he  must  be  put  to  Death. 

"  Canterbury  May  21*'  1754 

"  Before  Joseph  Blanciiard 

"  Jus  of  Peace/' 

Other  documents  relating  to  this  affair  may  be  found  in  IST.  H. 
Prov.  Papers,  Vol.  VI. 


62  CIVIL   HISTORY.  [1754. 

PUBLIC    SENTIMENT. 

Public  sentiment  in  Contoocook  .ind  Canterbury  sided  witli 
Bowen  and  Morrel,  though  the  part  taken  by  the  Latter  in  the 
murder  does  not  appear.  The  people  rejoiced  that  the  Indians, 
who  had  murdered  and  scalped  many  captives,  were  bej'ond  the 
possibility  of  doing  further  mischief.  Gov.  Shirley,  of  Massachu- 
setts, however,  took  a  different  view,  and  wrote  a  letter  to  Gov. 
Wentworth  urging  him  to  appease  the  Indians  by  giving  presents 
"  to  the  Eelatives  of  the  deceased  Indians  for  wiping  off  the 
3lood  as  they  term  it."  He  also  urged  the  re-arrest  of  Bowen 
and  Morrel. 

Gov.  Wentworth  determined  to  uphold  the  dignity  of  the  law, 
and  the  sheriff  and  his  assistants  arrested  Simeon  Ames,  of  Can- 
terbury, as  the  ringleader  of  the  liberators. 

"  I  will  go  with  you,"  was  the  prompt  reply  of  Ames  when  ar- 
rested ;  "  but  we  will  have  dinner  first." 

The  sheriff  was  pleased  to  accept  the  generous  hospitality  of 
his  prisoner. 

"  You  will  allow  me  to  ride  my  own  horse  to  Exeter,"  said 
Ames. 

The  sheriff  had  no  objection,  as  himself  and  assistant  Avere 
mounted.  The  party  started,  and  rode  till  nearly  sunset,  reaching 
Brentwood.  The  officers — one  on  each  side — had  enjoyed  the 
society  of  their  prisoner.  They  were  ascending  a  hill ;  the  offi- 
cers' horses  were  jaded,  while  Ames's  was  comparatively  fresh, 
and  very  fleet. 

"  I  declare,  it  is  most  sunset.  Good  evening,  gentlemen.  I 
don't  think  I  will  go  with  j^ou  any  further  to-night." 

In  an  instant  he  was  gone.  At  a  touch  of  the  rein  the  horse 
wheeled,  and  the  rider,  bowing  politely,  disappeared.  The  offi- 
cers sat  upon  their  horses  in  blank  astonishment,  knowing  that 
it  would  be  useless  to  attempt  to  overtake  a  man  who  was  going 
like  the  wind  away  from  them  ; — besides,  public  sentiment  was 
on  the  side  of  Ames. 

Gov.  Wentworth  wisely  adopted  the  advice  of  Gov.  Shirley — to 
make  a  present  to  the  Indians.  This  was  done,  and  no  further 
attempts  were  made  to  punish  the  offenders.  The  Iirdians  were 
appeased,  and  the  matter  dropped. 


1751.]  CIVIL    HISTORY,  63 


SCOUTIXG     PAKTY. 

Early  in  the  spring  Governor  Wentwortli  sent  out  a  party  un- 
der Col.  Lovewell,  Maj.  Talford,  and  Capt.  Page,  to  explore  tlie 
"  Upper  Cohos."  John  Stark  was  employed  as  guide,  he  having 
been  taken  up  the  Connecticut  when  captured  by  the  Indians. 

The  party  left  Rumford  March  10,  reached  Piermont  in  se\'en 
days,  spent  one  night  on  the  banks  of  the  Connecticut,  and  then, 
though  no  Indians  were  seen,  made  a  precipitate  return. 

TROPRIETORS'    MEETING. 

May  19.  Meeting  at  Contoocook.  £175  was  voted  to  the 
support  of  Mr.  Stevens,  at  the  rate  of  29''  per  pound.  Six  of 
the  Newbury  proprietors  attended  the  meeting, — Samuel  Pow- 
ler,  Edmund  Morss,  Thomas  Person,  Samuel  Gerrish,  John 
Thorla,  and  Joseph  Coffin.  £12  was  voted  to  each  man  as  com- 
pensation for  time  and  expense. 

The  money  voted  at  the  meeting  in  1752  for  the  construction 
of  a  fort  not  having  been  exjiended,  it  was  voted  to  divide  the 
money. 

CAPTURE  OF  THE  MELOON  FAMILY. 

Before  the  month  was  through,  the  Indians  began  their  depre- 
dations. 

It  was  knowni  that  parties  of  Canadian  savages  were  in  the 
vicinity ; — their  foot-prints  had  been  discovered  ;  they  had  been 
seen.  Some  of  the  settlers  farthest  from  the  fort  had  hastened  to 
place  themselves  under  the  protection  of  the  garrison.  At  this 
time  Mr.  William  Emery  had  erected  a  log  house  at  the  foot  of 
Corser  hill,  a  few  rods  west  of  Little  brook,  on  land  owned  by  Miss 
Nancy  E.  Couch. 

Mr.  Emery  knew  that  Indians  were  in  the  region,  and,  his  wife 
being  sick,  hastily  abandoned  his  house  on  the  10th  of  May,  leav- 
ing all  his  goods,  and  fleeing  to  the  fort. 

Mr.  Nathaniel  Meloon,  one  of  the  flrst  settlers  of  the  town,  had 
pushed  five  miles  beyond  Emery's — a  mile  beyond  the  nortlierly 
line  of  the  town — and  built  a  home  in  West  Stevenstown,  not  far 
from  the  present  West  Salisbury  meeting-house.  Mr.  Meloon's 
family  consisted  of   himself,  wife,  and  five  children, — Nathaniel, 


64  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1754. 

thirteen  years  old,  Mary  eleven,  Eacliael  ten,  John  six,  DavitT 
three,  and  Sarah  thirteen  months. 

Mr.  Meloon  started  hefore  sunrise,  on  the  morning  of  the  11th, 
for  Penacook,  but  was  captured  by  the  Indians  probably  not  far 
from  Emery's  house,  which  they  broke  oj)en  and  rifled.  Mr.  Me- 
loon was  on  horseback,  and  the  horse  being  of  no  use  to  them,  they 
left  it  tied  at  Emery's.  Taking  their  captive  with  them,  they 
returned  to  his  house  about  nine  o'clock.  Nathaniel  was  at  work 
in  the  field.  It  would  seem  that  the  boy  discovered  the  Indians 
about  the  same  time  that  they  saw  him.  He  took  to  the  woods, 
and,  although  pursued  by  two,  managed  to  secrete  himself.  At 
the  direction  of  the  Indians  his  father  called  him,  but  the  tones 
of  his  voice  were  of  Avarning,  and  he  did  not  come  out  from  his 
hiding-place  till  the  Indians  had  left.  He  ran  to  the  river,  swam 
it  several  times  to  elude  pursuit,  and  hastened  towards  the  fort, 
but  met  Stephen  Gerrish,  John  Flanders,  William  Emery,  and 
others,  who  were  out  on  a  scout,  and  returned  with  them  to  find 
Emery's  house  plundered,  and  his  father's  horse  at  the  door. 
They  proceeded  to  West  StevenstoAvn,  and  found  his  father's  house 
also  rifled. 

The  attack  was  on  Saturday,  the  11th  of  May.  On  the  next 
Wednesday,  the  15th,  Stephen  Gerrish  v/as  in  Portsmouth,  lay- 
ing the  case  before  the  Governor  and  Council,  soliciting  aid  for 
the  defence  of  the  town. 

[From  the  Coiincil  Records.] 
"  At  a  council  holden  in  Portsmouth  on  Wednesday  May  15'"'^  175-1. 
"  Present 

Ilis  excellency  the  Governor 

Henry  Sherburne     "] 

Theodore  Atkinson   I 

Richi  W.  bird  [^  ^'^^''• 

Jno  Downing  j 

Sampson  Sheaffe      "^ 
Daniel  Warner         V  Esqr. 
Joseph  Newmarch  ) 

"  Mr.  Stephen  Gerrish  appearing  at  this  Board  presented  a  petition 
of  Phineas  Stevens  &  eight  others  inhabitant  at  Contoocook  setting 
forth  that  the  Indians  had  begun  hostilities  in  that  part  &  had  capti- 
vated a  family  &  rifled  the  bouse  of  another  &c  &  being  examined  what 


1754.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  65 

he  knew  of  the  affair  says  on  Sat.  the  11"'  Inst  he  saw  a  lad  son  of 
Nathaniel  Malloon  who  lived  at  a  place  called  Stevenstowu  about  five 
miles  from  Contoocook  wlio  informed  him  that  his  father  &  family  were 
taken  as  he  supposed  by  the  Indians  he  having  seen  a  number  of  Ind- 
ians near  his  fathers  house  which  occasioned  him  the  sd  lad  to  run  into 
the  woods  by  which  he  escaped  upon  which  report  the  said  Gerrish  & 
sundry  others  went  immediately  to  the  house  where  they  had  found  the 
feather  beds  emptied  upon  the  floor  &  the  tickins  carry'd  off — Most  of 
the  meal  that  was  in  the  house  was  carry'd. 

"  They  tracked  the  Indians  some  way  from  the  house — that  the  fam- 
ily consisting  of  the  man  his  wife  &  three  children  were  all  gone  off 
and  by  the  said  signs  he  imagined  were  all  carried  into  captivity.  The 
petitioners  therefore  prayed  some  speedy  succours  to  guard  &  defend 
them  to  prevent  if  possible  future  depredations — upon  which  petition 
&  information  his  excellency  asked  the  council  what  they  would  advise 
in  the  Premises.  The  council  considering  thereof  did  advise  His  Ex- 
cellency to  give  the  necessary  orders  for  enlisting  or  impressing  twenty 
effective  men  to  be  immediately  sent  to  Contoocook,  Canterbury  & 
Stevenstown  to  be  destined  as  his  excellency  shall  think  most  advanta- 
geous for  guarding  the  inhabitants  in  these  parts  one  month." 

The  Indians  were  mercenary,  rather  than  revengeful  and  blood- 
thirsty. Tempting  as  the  scalps  of  the  captives  might  be,  the 
lives  of  the  French  in  Canada,  the  rum  and  the  blankets  and 
trinkets  which  the  English  slaves  would  sell  for,  awakened  their 
greed,  and  the  caj^tive  family  were  not  inhumanly  treated. 

Her  infant  was  sick,  and  the  savages,  under  pretence  of  giving 
it  medicine,  took  it  from  the  mother's  arms,  and  the  parents  never 
again  beheld  it. 

THE    PRISONERS    IN    CANADA. 

Arriving  in  Canada,  the  prisoners  were  sold  to  the  French,  and 
the  family  separated.  A  child — Joseph — was  born,  November  20, 
1755.  In  1757,  Mr.  Meloon,  his  wife,  and  three  sons  were  ship- 
ped on  a  French  vessel  for  France ;  but  the  ship  was  taken  by  a 
British  man-of-war,  off  Newfoundland,  and  they  were  landed  in 
Portland,  from  whence  they  made  their  way  to  Contoocook, 
and  finally  to  their  log  cabin  in  Salisbury,  where  life  was  once 
more  begun. 

Rachel  was  left  behind  in  Canada.  Being  but  ten  years  old  at 
the  time  of  her  captivity,  and  living  with  the  Indians,  she  took 
readily  to  their  mode  of  life.  In  1763,  Samuel  Fowler,  Esq.,  un- 
5 


QQ  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1754. 

clertook  to  bring  her  home.  He  found  her,  at  the  age  of  fourteen, 
in  her  habits  and  predilections,  an  Indian.  She  had  little  inclina- 
tion to  return  to  civilized  life,  and  Mr.  Fowler  found  it  necessary 
to  use  great  precaution  on  his  return,  for  fear  she  might  give  him 
the  slip,  and  make  her  way  hack  to  Canada.  She  returned  to  Salis- 
bury, subsequently  married,  but  never  wholly  forgot  the  habits  of 
her  captivity. 

The  affidavits  of  William  Emery,  Jolin  Flanders,  and  Nathaniel 
Meloon,  Jr.,  are  preserved  in  the  Provincial  Records  of  New 
Hampshire,  Vol.  VI,  and  are  of  interest  as  picturing  the  event. 

TESTIMONY    OF    WILLIAM    EMERY. 

"  William  Emery  of  Contoocook  in  the  Province  of  New  Hampshire 
of  Lawful  age— Testifies  &  says— That  on  the  Tenth  Day  of  May  1754 
his  wife  being  ill  &  People  afraid  to  tarry  &  take  care  of  her  there  being 
an  Outhouse  moved  her  into  Town  with  the  rest  of  the  family  about 
five  miles — the  next  morning  he  Returned  to  his  House  &  found  it  Plun- 
dered what  of  his  goods  was  not  carried  off  was  spoilt  of  the  vaUie  & 
to  his  damage  Two  Hundred  Pounds  Old  Tenor  at  the  Least  &  the  same 
time  found  Nath^  Maloon's  Horse  tyed  at  his  said  House  which  Maloon 
his  wife  Rachel  &  Sarah  &  son  Samuel  were  captivated  &  carried  away 
by  the  Indians  &  of  clothing  Bedding  &  Provisions  of  the  value  of  two 
hundred  &  thirty  Pounds  Old  Tenor  at  the  least. 
"  Province  of  New  7 
Hampshire  ) 

"  Contoocook 
"May  22<i  1751  the  above  Named  William  Emery  made  oath  to  the 
truth  of  the  aforesaid  written  Deposition  before 

"  Joseph  Blanchard 

"  Just  of  Peace  " 

TESTIMONY    OF    JOHN    FLANDERS. 

''John  Flanders  of  Contoocook  in  the  Province  of  New  Hampshire  of 
Lawful  age  Testifys  &  says— 

'  That  in  May  1753  an  Indian  named  Planseway  came  to  Contoocook 
aforesaid  exulting  &  telling  of  his  Frequent  coming  to  that  place  in 
the  war  how  many  he  killed  &  taken  [from]  Merryraack  in  the 
.^j^^._1'he  Deponent  told  him  that  in  the  Fall  he  intended  to  Catch 
some  Beaver  to  make  him  a  hat  &  asked  Planseway  if  he  would  hurt 
him  if  he  see  him,  who  answered  yes  if  he  found  him  a  hunting  he 
would  kill  him  &  earnestly  repeated  it  several  times— 


1754.J  CIVIL    HISTORY,  67 

"  And  the  Deponent  further  says  That  on  the  11">  day  of  May  1754 
in  the  Forenoon  at  Contoocook  aforesaid  William  Emery  came  to  the 
Body  of  the  Town  &  Informed  that  somebody  had  that  morning  broke 
open  his  house  taken  many  things  &  spoiled  others,  a  house  his  family 
liad  moved  from  the  night  Before  all  his  clothing  (his  beds  empty'd  & 
ticks  cut  to  pieces)  &  supposed  it  to  be  Indians  the  Deponent  &  others 
Immediately  went,  found  the  house  strip''^  &  Plunder'd  to  the  said  Em- 
ery's Damage  at  least  Two  hundred  Pounds  old  Tenor, 

''  That  they  proceeded  to  the  house  of  Nathaniel  Meloon  in  Stevens- 
town  so  called  which  was  about  six  miles  Farther  &  met  with  said  Meloon's 
Eldest  son  who  gave  account  of  the  Indians  that  day  captivating  his 
Father  &  Mother  &  three  children  who  returned  with  the  scout  to  his 
Father's  house  where  they  found  it  plundered  &  strip'd  &  by  the 
best  accts  the  Deponent  could  get  of  the  things  missing  broke  &  Cutt 
to  pieces  were  of  the  value  &  to  Meloous  damage  at  least  two  hun- 
dred &  thirty  pounds  old  Tenor. 

"  Province  of         7  Contoocook  May  22* 

New  Hampshire)  175i 

"The  above  named  John  Flanders  made  Oath  to  the  truth  of  the 
aforewritten  Deposition. 

"  Before  Joseph  Blaxchard 

"just  Peace 
"  A  copy  exam'd  by  William  Parker.     Not  Pub." 

TESTIMONY    OF    NATHANIEL    MELOON, 

'^Nathaniel  Maloon  the  son  of  Nathaniel  Maloon  of  Stevenstown  in 
New  Hampshire  aged  about  14  years  Testifies  &  says — 

"  That  at  Stevenstown  aforesaid  on  the  11"^  day  of  May  175i  in  the 
morning  before  sunrise  his  Father  set  out  Designing  to  go  to  Penacook 
a  place  of  about  twenty  miles  distant  whose  road  went  by  the  house  of 
Mr.  William  Emery  of  Contoocook.  That  the  same  morning  about 
nine  of  the  clock  the  Deponent  was  at  work  in  his  Fathers  field  &  soon  a 
number  of  Indians  he  thought  ten  or  a  dozen  running  to  the  house  & 
too  took  after  the  Deponent,  but  a  thicket  near  was  Quick  out  of  sight 
&  made  his  escape  &  hid  not  far  off.  Some  time  afterwards  he  heard 
his  Father  call  him  sundry  times — 

"  That  after  he  supposed  the  Indians  Drawn  off  made  his  escape  to 
Contoocook. 

"  Province  of         >  At  Contoocook 
New  Hampshire  \  the  22'^  of  May  1754. 
"  The  above  named  &c 

"  Before  Joseph  Blaxchard 

"Jus  Peace." 


68  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1754. 

EXPEDITION    TO    THE    UPPER    CONNECTICUT. 

A  report  that  tlie  Indians  were  building  a  fort  on  tlie  upper 
Connecticut  induced  the  Govei-nor  and  Council  to  send  out  another 
and  stronger  party  to  reconnoitre  the  country.  It  was  commanded 
by  Capt.  Peter  Powers,  of  Hollis.  The  company  assembled  at 
Eumford,  and  on  Saturday,  June  15th,  marched  to  Contoocook. 

The  beginning  of  the  march  is  given  from  Powers's  journal : 

"Sat  June  15'>'  1754.  This  day  left  Kumford  &  marched  to  Contoo- 
cook which  is  about  8  miles  &  here  tarried  all  night. 

"■  Sunday  June  16  Tiiis  day  tarried  at  Contoocook  &  went  to  meet- 
ing &  tarried  here  all  this  night. 

'■'Hon  June  17  This  morning  fair  &  we  fixed  our  packs  &  went  & 
put  them  on  board  our  canoes  about  nine  of  the  clock  &  some  of  the 
men  went  in  the  canoes  &  the  rest  on  the  shore.  And  so  we  marched 
up  the  river  Merrimack  to  the  crotch  or  parting  thereof  &  then  up  the 
Pemigewasset  about  one  mile  &  a  half  &  camped  above  the  carrying 
place,  which  carrying  place  is  about  one  hundred  rods  long,  &  the  whole 
of  this  days  work  is  about  thirteen  miles." 

The  route  was  up  Baker's  river.  The  party  reached  the  Con- 
necticut at  Piermont,  where  four  of  their  number,  being  disabled, 
descended  the  Connecticut  to  Charlestown  in  a  canoe,  while  the 
others  pushed  on  up  the  Ammonoosuc  nearly  to  Littleton,  and 
then  crossed  a  ridge  of  high  land  to  the  Connecticut  in  Dalton, 
and  from  thence  went  as  far  north  as  Israel's  river.  The  main 
body  encamped  there,  while  Powers  and  two  men  pushed  up  the 
valley  to  the  present  town  of  Northumberland,  whence  they  came 
upon  a  fresh  Indian  trail.  Not  deeming  it  prudent  to  proceed  any 
farther,  the  company  returned  to  their  packs,  which  had  been  left 
on  the  Ammonoosuc,  and  from  thence  to  the  present  village  of 
Haverhill,  which  they  reached  July  6.  The  leaves  of  the  diary 
giving  an  account  of  the  return  are  wanting,  but  in  all  proba- 
bility Capt.  Powers  arrived  at  Contoocook  about  a  week  later. 
This  was  the  first  exploration  of  the  upper  valley  of  the  Connec- 
ticut. 

ATTACK    ON    STEVENSTOWN. 

In  August,  the  Indians,  under  Capt.  John  Sasup,  swooped  down 
upon  East  Stevenstown.  Philip  Call,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Contoocook,  had  concluded  to  locate  himself  on  the  rich  intervale 


1754.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  69 

of  Stevenstown.  He  built  his  cabin  near  the  JMerrimack,  about 
a  mile  and  a  half  bej'ond  the  north  line  of  Contoocook,  near  what 
is  now  South  Franklin.  It  was  on  the  15th  of  the  month  that  the 
Indians  made  their  attack.  Mrs.  Call  and  her  son's  wife  and  in- 
fant were  in  the  house,  while  the  father,  son,  and  Timothy  Cook, — 
whose  father  had  been  killed,  in  1746,  at  Clay  hill, — were  at  work 
in  the  field.  Upon  the  approach  of  the  Indians,  Mrs.  Call,  senior, 
met  them  at  the  door,  and  was  instantly  killed  by  a  blow  from  a 
tomahawk.  She  fell  across  the  threshold.  Mrs.  Philip  Call, 
junior,  with  her  infant,  crawled  into  a  hole  behind  the  chimney. 
She  succeeded  in  keeping  her  child  quiet,  and  was  not  discovered. 
The  father  and  son  had  seen  the  Indians,  and  attempted  to  get  to 
the  hoiise  in  advance  of  them,  but,  discovering  that  there  was  a 
large  party,  took  to  the  woods.  Cook  fled  towards  the  Merrimack, 
plunged  in,  but  was  shot  and  scalped.  Philip  made  all  haste  to 
Contoocook,  swimming  the  river  several  times  to  baffle  his  pursu- 
ers. The  Indians,  about  thirty  in  number,  rifled  the  house,  and, 
suspecting  that  a  party  would  be  sent  up  from  the  fort,  secreted 
themselves  in  the  woods. 

The  force  sent  out  from  the  fort  consisted  of  thirteen  men. 
The  Indians  allowed  them  to  pass,  rose  from  their  ambush,  gave 
a  whoop,  made  a  rush,  but  succeeded  only  in  capturing  Enos 
Bishop,  whose  home  was  on  Queen  street,  west  of  the  house  now 
owned  by  Prof.  John  Jackman. 

The  remaining  twelve,  disconcerted  by  the  suddenness  of  the 
attack,  fled  in  every  direction,  and  finally  all  reached  the  fort, 
not  having  fired  a  gun. 

bishop's  captivity. 

Bisho];)  was  taken  to  Canada,  reaching  St.  Prancis  village  in 
thirteen  days,  with  Samuel  Scribner  and  John  Parker  taken  from 
Stevenstown.     They  were  sold  to  Frenchmen. 

In  October,  Bishop  found  means  to  send  a  letter  to  Eev.  Jede- 
diah  Jewett,  of  Rowley,  Mass. 

"Montreal,  Oct.  19,  1754, 

"  Rev.  Sir — The  reason  of  my  directing  these  lines  to  you  is  because 
it  seems  most  likely  that  they  will  sooner  arrive  to  the  hands  of  a  per- 
son of  your  note  than  to  any  body  else.  Before  I  proceed  I  shall  give 
you  a  short  description  of  my  captivity.     That  day  Sir,  in  August  last 


70  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1754. 

[the  15*]  that  you  left  my  house  at  Contoocook  I  was  taken  by  the  Ind- 
ians &  by  them  carried  to  St.  Francois,  where  we  arrived  in  thirteen 
days;  &  after  I  had  been  with  them  eight  weeks  they  sold  me  to  a 
French  gentlemen  for  300  livres,  which  sum  must  be  paid  before  I  can 
be  free  which  looks  someAvhat  difficult  to  me.  But  I  hope  I  have  some 
friend  in  Rowley  that  will  contribute  that  sum  for  my  relief;  &  I  shall 
take  it  a  favor  with  you  if  you  will  move  a  contribution  in  your  parish. 
There  will  be  no  difficulty  in  my  redemption  if  the  money  be  paid  & 
there  is  no  difficulty  in  coming  at  any  time  of  the  year.  In  the  winter 
the  people  pass  on  the  ice  all  the  way  to  Albany  except  a  few  miles. 
Inform  the  people  at  Contoocook  that  Maloon  &  his  wife  are  sold  to  a 
French  minister  near  Quebeck,  &  his  boy  in  this  town  &  his  oldest  girl  is 
with  the  Indians ;  their  youngest  child  died  I  believe  at  St.  Francois 
about  a  month  ago.  Samuel  Scribner  who  was  taken  at  Bakerstown 
where  I  was  I  hear  is  sold  to  the  french  at  Chambly,  about  12  miles  from 
this  place ;  &  Robert  Barker  taken  at  the  same  place  sold  to  a  French- 
man about  a  mile  from  St.  Francois.     They  all  desire  release. 

"I  can  write  no  more  at  present  only  to  ask  an  interest  in  your  pray- 
ers &  beg  leave  to  subscribe  myself 

"  Your  most  obedient  &  humble  servant 

"  Enos  Bishop. 

''  N.  B.  Caution  the  frontier  to  be  on  their  guard.  If  any  person 
comes  or  sends  for  me  let  them  repair  to  Col.  John  Lydius,  of  Albany 
for  direction." 

The  families  on  the  outskirts  of  the  town,  and  all  that  had  set- 
tled in  Stevenstown,  upon  the  attack  of  the  Indians  abandoned 
their  homes  and  fled  to  the  fort.  The  citizens  organized  for  de- 
fence. 

THE    ALARM. 

Two  of  the  party  sent  up  from  the  fort  at  the  time  of  the  attack 
upon  Philip  Call  were  Ephraim  Foster  and  Andrew  Moor.  Possi- 
bly they  were  not  citizens  of  Contoocook,  as  no  other  mention  of 
their  names  is  found  in  any  of  the  records  or  documents.  It  is 
probable  that  they  were  sent  to  alarm  the  lower  towns,  for  we  find 
Andrew  McClary,  of  Epsom,  hastening  to  Portsmouth  and  giving 
the  Governor  and  Council  information  concerning  the  attack. 
McClary's  account  is  on  record  in  tlie  "  Council  Minutes."  The 
attack  was  on  the  15th.  On  the  18th,  McClary  was  in  the  council 
chamber,  at  the  capitol,  giving  the  following  statement : 


Nl 


M^^A  ^j^c^^^o^ 


1754.] 


CIVIL    HISTORY.  Tl 


"  Portsmouth  Aug  18,  1754, 
"The  said  Andrew  McCLiry  being  examined  declared  that  Eph"'" 
Foster  &  Stephen  Moor  acquainted  the  dechirant  that  they  were  at 
Stevenstown  the  day  after  the  mischief  was  done  by  the  Indians  & 
found  the  body  of  Mrs.  Call  lying  dead  near  the  door  of  her  house, 
scalped  &  her  head  almost  cutoff  &  upon  further  search  found  the  body 
of  a  man  named  Cook  dead  &  scalped.  That  the  Indians  were  supposed 
to  be  about  thirty  in  number  according  to  the  account  of  eight  men. 
[Mr.  Price,  writing  from  tradition,  says  thirteen— possibly  a  misprint.] 
that  upon  hearing  the  news  went  immediately  from  Contoocook  to  Ste- 
venstown &  in  that  way  passed  the  enemy  who  soon  followed  them  &  see- 
ing the  Indians  too  many  in  number  to  engage  they  parted  &  endeavored 
to  escape.  One  of  the  company,  one  Bishop,  stood  sometime  &  fired  at 
the  Indians,  but  was  soon  obliged  to  run.  Cook  was  found  dead  by  the 
river's  side.  Bishop  supposed  to  be  killed  &  sunk  in  the  river,  he  being 
still  missing — that  there  were  two  men  belonging  to  the  plantation  at  a 
distance  working  in  a  meadow,  that  as  yet  were  not  come  in  [Scribner  and 
Barker]  And  it  is  feared  they  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy— 
that  as  the  declarant  had  understood  all  the  inhabitants  consisting  of 
about  eight  families  were  come  down  into  the  lower  town  &  had  left 
their  improvements,  corn,  hay  &  cattle." 

CAPT.    JOHN    WEBSTER. 

When  the  attack  was  made  on  West  Stevenstown,  in  May,  and 
the  Meloon  family  captured,  Gov.  Wentworth  ordered  Capt.  John 
Webster,  of  Manchester,  to  march  at  once  with  twenty  men  to 
protect  the  inhabitants  in  the  vicinity  of  Contoocook.  The  com- 
pany marched  on  June  24  ;  hut  no  enemy  being  then  in  the  vicin- 
ity, the  men  returned  to  their  homes. 

The  attack  on  East  Stevenstown,  and  the  disaster  to  the  party 
that  went  up  from  Contoocook,  created  universal  alarm. 

TROOPS    CALLED    OUT. 

The   Council  advised  the  calling  out    of  a   large    force.     On 
August  16,  the  following  order  was  issued  to  Col.  Joseph  Blan- 
chard,  of  Dunstable  : 
"  To  Col  Joseph  Blanchard, 

"  Upon  the  mischief  done  by  the  Indians  at  Stevenstown,  I  have  or- 
dered a  detachment  from  Captain  Odlins  troop*  of  24  men  and  officers 

*  This  company  was  from  Exeter  and  vicinity. 


72  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1755. 

to  command,  also  a  like  number  from  Captain  Stevens  troop  to  guard 
the  inhabitants  in  that  frontier  until  I  can  relieve  them  by  a  sufficient 
number  of  foot  &  as  your  regiment  lies  contiguous  to  the  frontier  where 
the  mischief  was  done  I  have  thought  proper  to  order  &  direct  that  you 
forthwith  enlist  and  impress  fifty  men  or  more,  if  you  think  that  num- 
ber is  not  sufficient  &  put  them  under  an  officer  you  can  confide  in  & 
order  them  forthwith  to  march  to  Contoocook  &  Stevenstown  to  relieve 
the  detachment  of  horse  posted  there. 

"  B.  Wentworth." 

CAPT.    GOFFE's    company. 

The  company  was  commanded  by  Jolm  Goffe,  of  Derryfield. 
Robert  Rogers,  afterwards  the  renowned  ranger,  enlisted  as  a  pri- 
vate in  this  company.  From  Contoocook  were  the  following  citi- 
zens : 

Dea.  Jesse  Flanders,  John  Flanders, 

Stephen  Hoit,  William  Courser, 

Jacob  Hoit,  Joseph  Eastman,  Jr. 

The  company  was  in  service  during  the  winter,  frequently  mak- 
ing long  marches  on  snow-shoes.  The  head-quarters  were  in  the 
garrisons  of  Canterbury  and  Contoocook. 

DEATH    OF    REV.    MR.    STEVENS. 

Jan.  19,  1755.  Tlie  people  of  Contoocook  met  with  a  sad  loss 
in  the  death  of  Rev.  Mr.  Stevens,  who  for  fifteen  years  had  been 
their  minister,  and  who  had  taken  an  active  part  in  all  of  the  af- 
fairs of  the  plantation. 

Rev.  Mr.  Price  says  of  him, — "  We  have  not  the  means  of  as- 
certaining particularly  the  success  of  his  labors,  for  want  of  church 
records  ;  but  that  he  was  ver}-  dear  to  the  people  of  his  charge, 
and  his  services  satisfactory,  are  evidenced  by  their  united  attach- 
ment to  his  interest  amid  the  trying  scenes  and  sufferings  to 
which  he  and  they  were  called." 

MR.  Stevens's  estate. 

The  amount  of  worldly  effects  owned  by  Mr.  Stevens  will  be 
seen  from  the  appraisers'  account : 

"We  the  Subscribers  being  appointed  a  Committee  to  apprize  the 
Estate  real  &  personal  of  the  Rev"^  M''  Phiuehas  Stevens,  late  of  the  Place 


1755.] 


CIVIL    HISTORY,  73 


called  Contoocook  within  his  Majestys  Province  of  New  Hampshire, 
Clerk  Deceased,  being  first  sworn  to  the  faithful  Discharge  of  the  said 
Trust  have  taken  the  following  Inventory  of  the  said  Estate. 

"  Vis— 
"  Of  personal  Estate — 
"  Imprimis.     To  Books — 

M""  Pool's  Synopses  Criticorura  in  five  volumes  in  Folio  7.10.  0. 

Other  books  the  whole  of  them  1-  5.  0. 

Item,  To  a  Swivel  Gun  2.10.  0 

item,  To  Beds,  Bedding  &  Bedsteads                    '  45.12.  6. 

item.  To  Pewter  1--10.  0 

item,  To  two  warming  pans  3.  2.  6. 

item,  To  two  Looking  Glasses  5.10.  0. 

item.  To  two  Brass  Kettles  4.  0.  0. 

item,  To  a  toasting-iron  &  Gridiron  0.  6.  0. 

item.  To  a  Spit  0.  0.  0. 

item.  To  a  Spool  wheel  !•  5.  0 

item.  To  a  Cupboard  0-15.  0. 

item.  To  two  Caggs                                                                 •  0.10.  0. 

item,  To  a  great  Wheel  0.  5.  0 

item,  To  Andirons  0.  8.  0. 

item,  To  Tongs  0.  6.  0. 

item.  To  another  pair  of  Tongs  &  fire  shovel  &  irons  2.10.  0. 

item.  To  an  iron  Kettle  0.12.  0. 

item.  To  two  iron  Trammels  1-  5.  0. 

item,  To  a  little  Pot  0.12.  0. 

item.  To  two  Box  irons  &  Heater  1.10.  0. 

item.  To  five  Chairs  at  0.3.9.  apiece  0.18.  9. 

item.  To  a  Frying  Pan  0.  6.  0. 

item,  To  an  iron  Pot  [ J 

item,  To  a  pair  of  hand-Bellows  0.  5.  0. 

item.  To  a  brass  Skillet  &  Frame  0.10.  0. 

item,  To  another  brass  Skillet  &  Frame  0.12.  6. 

item.  To  a  brass  Skimmer  0.  5.  0. 

item,  To  three  tables  at  5»  apiece  0.15.  0. 

item,  To  a  Cradle  0.  2.  6. 

item,  To  hay  at  the  Meddeo  2.  2.  6. 

item.  To  2  Tobes  0.10.  0. 

item.  To  Iron  0.  2.  6. 

Chaffing  Dish  0.  5.  0. 

item,  To  a  Coat,  2.  0.  0. 

item.  To  a  great  Coat  !•  0.  0. 


74 


CIVIL    HISTORY. 


[1755. 


item,  To  two  Gowns 

item,  To  Stockings 

item,  To  a  pair  of  Leather  Breeches 

item,  To  a  Jacket 

item,  To  a  Hat 

item,  To  a  pair  of  Boots 

item.  To  Shoes 

item.  To  a  Morter  Pestel 

item,  To  a  Kazor 

item,  To  Shirts 

item,  To  a  half  Bushel  &  Sive 

item.  To  one  old  Saddle  &  Bridle 

item,  To  Tea  Furniture 

item,  To  two  Chests 

item,  To  an  old  Portmantle 

item,  To  Salt 

item,  To  Glass  Bottles 

item,  To  an  ax 

item,  To  a  Scithe  to  cut  Bushes 

item.  To  Plow  irons 


Stock. 


"  To  a  Mare 
item.  To  two  Cows 
item.  To  a  Heifer 
item,  To  a  Calf 
item.  To  five  Sheep 
item.  To  three  Swine 


"  Real  Estate  &  Buildings. 


3.10.  0. 

0.18.  6. 

0.15.  0. 

2.  0.  0. 

0.15.  0. 

0.  5.  0. 

0.  7.  6. 

0.  0.  6. 

2.  0.  0. 

0.  5.  0. 
2.  0.  0. 
0.10.  0. 

1.  0.  0. 
0.  5.  0. 
0.10.  0. 
0.  5.  0. 

0.  5.  0. 
0.12.  6. 

1.  5.  0. 


.  0.  0. 
,10.  0. 

0.  0. 
10.  0. 
10.  0. 

5.  0. 


"Imprimis,  To  the  House-Lot,  House  &  Barn  90.  0.  0. 

item,  a  House  in  the  Garrison 

item.  To  a  five  acre  Intervale  Lot 

item,  To  a  House  Lot  adjoining  to  Ensign  Joseph  Eastman's  25 

item,  To  one  eighty  acre  Lot,  half  an  eighty-acre  Lot,  &  two 

House-Lots  all  joining  together 
item.  To  one  hundred  acre  Lot 
item,  To  one  common  Right 

item,  To  half  a  hundred-acre  lot,  &  half  a  common  Right 
item.  To  one  eighty-acre-Lot  in  the  Township  of  Rumford 

APPLICATION    FOR   IXCOKPORATION   AS    A    TOWN. 

Jail.  28.     At  a  meeting  of  tlie  proprietors  in  Newbury,  a  tliird 


25.  0. 

0. 

3  25.  0. 

0. 

215.  0. 

0. 

25.  0. 

0. 

7.  0. 

0 

IG.  5. 

0. 

62.10. 

0." 

175G.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  75 

attempt  was  made  to  obtain  corporate  powers ;  but  in  consequence 
of  the  intense  cold,  the  meeting  adjourned  without  action  to  Feb- 
ruary 11. 

Feb.  11.  The  proprietors  met  at  tlie  house  of  Daniel  Clark. 
Joseph  Greenleaf  and  Joseph  Gerrish  were  chosen  a  committee  to 
petition  the  Great  and  General  Court  for  an  enlargement  of  the 
powers  of  the  proprietors  in  regard  to  tlie  collection  of  taxes. 

June  12.  At  a  meeting  in  Contoooook,  Benj.  Lunt,  Henry 
Rolfe,  and  Joseph  Coffin  were  appointed  to  settle  with  the  admin- 
istrator of  Rev.  Mr.  Stevens's  estate. 

To  defray  the  current  expenses  of  the  plantation,  £400  was  ap- 
propriated. 

George  Jackman,  Stephen  Gerrish,  and  Jacob  Flanders  were 
chosen  to  look  after  the  parsonage. 

Joseph  Coffin,  Benj.  Lunt,  and  Henry  Eolfe  were  appointed  a 
committee  to  procure  "  twenty  pounds  of  powder,  lead,  »&;  flints, 
[or  their]  equivelent  [and]  to  take  care  of  the  same." 

Ninety  pounds  was  voted  towards  defra3dng  the  expenses  in- 
curred at  the  funeral  of  Rev.  Mr.  SteA'ens. 

A  committee  was  appointed  to  secure  the  services  of  another 
preacher,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Varney  was  employed. 

THE    MIXISTEll's    LOT. 

Feb.  7,  1756.  The  proprietors  met  at  the  meeting-house,  but, 
on  account  of  the  cold,  an  adjournment  was  had  to  the  nearest 
dwelling-house.  Capt.  Stephen  Gerrish,  Jacob  Flanders,  and  Dea. 
George  Jackman  were  chosen  a  committee  to  provide  further 
preaching. 

Ezekiel  Flanders  and  Samuel  Fowler  were  apjjointed  a  commit- 
tee to  see  whether  a  lot  of  eighty  acres  should  be  set  off  to  the 
right  of  the  first  settled  minister. 

TWO    CITIZENS    KILLED    BY    INDIANS. 

Mr.  Flanders,  who  was  thus  chosen,  soon  after  went  to  New- 
found lake,  in  Hebron,  accompanied  by  Edward  Emer}^,  to  set 
their  traps  for  beaver.  "While  there  they  were  waylaid  by  Ind- 
ians. One  was  shot  while  skinning  a  beaver,  and  the  other 
while  carrying  a  beaver  into  camp,  as  was  subsequently  learned 
from  the  Indians. 


76  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1756. 

THE    CHARTEK. 

Another  attempt  was  made  to  obtain  a  town  charter.  Joseph 
Coffin,  John  Moody,  and  Stephen  Gerrish  were  appointed  to  press 
the  claims  of  the  plantation  before  the  Governor  and  Conncil. 
The  efforts  of  the  committee  were  in  this  end  successful,  as  will 
be  seen  further  on. 

ESCAPE    OF    ENOS    BISHOP    FROM    CANADA. 

In  October,  Enos  Bishop,  who  had  been  captured  by  the  Indians, 
in  1754,  made  his  escape  from  Canada.  From  a  letter  published 
in  the  N.  Y.  Mercury,  Oct.  25,  1756,  written  by  an  officer  in  the 
garrison  at  No.  4,  Charlestown,  we  have  an  account  of  his  escape  : 

"  No  4,  Oct  4,  1756. 

"  This  day  arrived  here  one  Enoch  Bishop,  an  English  captive  from 
Canada,  who  was  taken  two  years  since.  He  left  Canada  twenty-six 
daj'S  ago  in  company  with  two  other  English  captives  viz  :  William 
Hair  late  of  Brookfield  enlisted  in  Gen.  Shirley's  regiment  &  taken  at 
Oswego  ;  the  other  name  unknown  taken  from  Pennsylvania.  They 
came  away  from  Canada  without  a  hatchet,  gun  or  fire  works,  &  with 
no  more  than  three  loaves  of  bread  &  four  pounds  of  pork.  As 
they  suffered  much  for  want  of  provisions,  his  companions  were  not 
able  to  travel  any  farther  than  a  Httle  this  side  of  Cowass  [Coos]  where 
he  was  obliged  to  leave  them  last  Lord's  Day  without  any  sustenance 
but  a  few  berries.  Six  men  were  this  morning  sent  out  to  look  for 
them  but  it  is  feared  they  perished  in  the  wilderness." 

SOLDIERS    IN    THE    FRENCH    WAR. 

We  have  not  been  aide  to  ascertain  what  citizens  of  Contoocook 
enlisted  in  the  war  against  the  French  and  Indians.  It  is  not  lihely 
that  their  names  would  be  found  on  the  proprietors'  records.  It  is 
known  that  Philip  Flanders  was  killed  at  Crown  Point.  He  was 
a  ranger  in  Maj.  Rogers's  company.  He  was  the  son  of  Jacob 
Flanders,  one  of  the  first  settlers,  and  lived  at  the  south  end  of 
Water  street.  He  was  brother  of  Dea.  Jesse  Flanders,  who  was 
in  one  or  more  of  the  campaigns  against  the  French  and  Ind- 
ians. 

Andrew  Bohonon,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Contoocook,  also 
served  in  one  or  more  campaigns.  He  was  brother-in4aw  of 
Philip  and  Jesse  Flanders,  having  married  their  sister  Tabitha. 


1757.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  77 

SAMUEL    fowler's    DISSENT. 

June  1,  1757.  A  proprietors'  meeting  was  hekl,  and  a  com- 
mittee, consisting  of  Joseph  Coffin,  John  Moody,  and  Capt.  Ste- 
phen Gerrish,  was  appointed  "  to  j^rovide  some  suitable  gentleman 
to  preach." 

Mr.    Samuel  Fowler  again   entered    his    dissent,   which  is  on 

record : 

[From  the  Records.] 

"  To  the  proprietors  of  Coutoocook  in  their  annual  meeting  assembled. 

"  The  humble  petition  of  Samuel  Fowler  sheweth  that  your  peti- 
tioner as  a  proprietor  among  you  hath  hitherto  used  his  best  endeavors 
according  to  his  ability  to  promote  the  settlement  and  advantage  of  the 
plantation  and  his  estate  therein  has  born  its  part  to  all  the  publick 
taxes  thereof  for  that  end,  but  as  j'our  petitioner,  which  is  not  un- 
known to  you  is  of  a  different  persuasion  from  you  with  respect  to  the 
publick  worship  of  God  among  you  and  as  he  is  now  about  to  take  his 
estate  into  his  own  hands,  cannot  with  freedom  of  conscience  pay  the 
ministerial  taxes  for  the  support  of  publick  Worship  in  your  way  he 
humbly  intreats  your  compassionate  regards  in  that  respect.  And  as 
our  king  thro  the  kindness  of  God  has  been  pleased  to  exempt  those  of 
this  persuasion  from  such  taxes  you  would  also  be  pleased  to  free  your 
petitioner  from  the  like  tax  in  this  place  &  your  petitioner  will  still  be 
willing  to  use  his  best  endeavors  for  the  good  of  the  plantation  &  pay  any 
other  taxes  or  charges  which  in  Law  reason  or  justice  may  be  thought 
equitable  &  in  any  other  proper  way  pay  or  bear  his  fidl  proportion  of 
charge  for  promoting  the  interest  of  the  plantation  that  so  his  land 
or  interest  in  this  place  may  not  be  sold  for  the  ministerial  taxes,  which 
otherwise  they  will  be  liable  to  which  as  your  petitioner  upon  the  most 
serious  reflection  on  the  case  sees  no  way  to  prevent,  and  therefore 
again  begs  your  favour  in  this  respect,  which  will  greatly  oblige  your 
petitioner  who  on  this  occasion  hopes  he  shall  be  ready  on  all  proper 
opportunities  to  treat  you  with  suitable  tokens  of  acknowledgement. 

"  Samuel  Fowler." 

Up  to  this  time  Mr.  Fowler  had  resided  in  ISTewbury,  but  dur- 
ing the  year  removed  to  Contoocook.  He  was  an  original  propri- 
etor, and  accepted  with  his  associates  the  grant  which  stipulated 
that  a  minister  should  be  supported.  His  associates  might  have 
pleaded,  against  his  rights  of  conscience,  that  he  voluntarily  and 
without  protest  accepted  the  grant,  and  was  therefore  debarred 
from  dissent ;  but  with  great  liberality  they  waived  all  limita- 
tions, and  passed  the  following  votes  : 


78  CIVIL    HISTORY,  [1757. 

"  Voted  that  the  prayer  of  the  petitioner  be  granted  for  the  year 
1750." 

"  Voted  that  the  prayer  of  the  petitioner  be  granted  for  1751." 

"Voted  that  the  prayer  of  the  petitioner  be  granted  for  the  year 
1752." 

"  Voted  that  the  prayer  of  the  petitioner  be  answered  for  1753  & 
also  for  1755.'' 

The  committee  on  preaching  employed  E,ev.  Stephen  Scales, 
who  began  to  preach  during  the  summer. 

CAPTURE    OF    MOSES    JACKMAN    BY    INDIANS. 

During  the  month  of  June,  four  Indians  made  their  appearance 
in  Canterbury,  near  the  house  of  Thomas  Clough.  The  family 
were  not  at  home.  The  Indians  entered  the  house,  secured  some 
meal,  and  secreted  themselves  in  the  woods. 

In  a  field  near  by,  a  negro,  Dorset,  and  Moses  Jackman,  son  of 
Richard  Jackman  of  Contoocook,  eleven  years  old,  were  hoeing 
corn.  The  first  intimation  Jackman  had  of  the  presence  of  the  Ind- 
ians was  their  uprising  around  him.  Dorset  seized  Jackman,  and 
started  to  run  with  him ;  but  they  soon  separated,  Jackman  running 
towards  the  barn,  and  the  negro  towards  the  woods.  Jackman 
stumbled  and  fell,  and  was  taken.  He  once  escaped,  but  was 
recaptured,  and  intimidated  by  the  wielding  of  a  tomahawk 
over  his  head.  Dorset  was  overtaken.  He  made  a  desperate  re- 
sistance, and  was  badly  beaten  about  the  head.  He  cried  lustily 
for  help,  and  his  cries  Avere  heard  by  others  <it  work  haK  a  mile 
away,  who  understood  the  meaning  of  it,  and  fled  to  the  garrison, 
at  the  house  of  Capt.  Jeremiah  Clough. 

Mrs.  Thomas  Clough  had  a  narrow  escape.  She  saw  the  Ind- 
ians, and  made  haste  to  the  garrison.  The  alarm  was  given,  but 
too  late  to  prevent  them  from  carrying  off  their  captives. 

The  route  taken  by  the  savages  was  up  the  Merrimack,  prob- 
ably to  Franklin,  where  they  crossed  over  the  falls,  one  Indian 
carrying  Jackman  on  his  shoulders.  They  travelled  fast,  and  at 
night  encamped  on  Smith's  river,  in  what  is  now  the  town  of 
Hill.  Jackman  was  barefoot,  and  the  Indians  kindly  supplied 
him  with  moccasons.     The  Indians  made  a  rapid  march  to  Canada. 

Arriving  at  Montreal,  the  two  cajitives  were  imprisoned  for  a 
fortnight,  while  the  Indians  were  trading  off  their  furs.  Jackman 
was  sold  to  a  Frenchman,  and  separated  from  Dorset,  whom  he 
never  saw  or  heard  from  again. 


1759.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  79 

Wliile  in  captivity,  Jaclanan  saw  an  Indian  chief  who  had  often 
been  in  Contoocook.  The  Indian  recognized  him  at  once.  Jack- 
man  remained  in  captivit}^  till  1761,  when  peace  was  declared, 
and  he  was  brought  home  by  Enos  Bishop,  who  went  in  quest  of 
him.  Bishop  was  peculiarly  fitted  to  bring  him  through  the  wil- 
derness, having  made  his  escape  in  1754.  Jackman  was  kindly 
treated,  and  obtained  a  knowledge  of  the  French  language  during 
the  four  years  of  his  captivity. 

CLOSE    OF    THE    FRENCH    AND    INDIAN    WAR. 

1758-59.  The  proprietors'  books  contain  no  important  rec- 
ords for  these  years ;  but  great  events  were  taking  place  else- 
where. On  the  24th  of  July,  1759,  Niagara  was  taken  by  the 
British  and  colonial  forces ;  on  the  27th,  Gen.  Amherst  took  pos- 
session of  Ticonderoga.  On  the  13th  of  September  the  battle  on 
the  Plains  of  Abraham  was  fought,  and  the  lilies  of  France  gave 
place  to  the  cross  of  St.  George,  in  America.  It  was  one  of  the 
decisive  battles  of  history, — one  of  the  turning-places  of  human 
destiny. 

From  that  day  forth  there  were  to  be  no  more  midnight  alarms 
of  savage  foes,  no  more  tomahawking  and  scalping,  no  more  cap- 
tivity for  settlers  on  the  frontier,  no  more  murdering,  Inmiing,  or 
j)lundering,  but  peace,  j)i'osperity,  and  the  beginning  of  a  new  era 
in  American  history. 

Gen.  WoKe,  though  dead,  was  a  hero.  His  effigy  was  painted 
on  tavern  signs,  his  memory  lauded  everywhere. 

A  few  days  before  the  battle  on  the  Plains  of  Abraham,  a 
British  fleet  under  Admiral  Boscawen  defeated  a  French  fleet  off 
Cape  Vincent,  in  Portugal.  The  engagement  occurred  August  20, 
and  the  news  reached  America  in  September,  just  as  intelligence 
arrived  of  the  victory  at  Quebec.  Wolfe,  Boscawen,  and  Amherst 
were  the  heroes  of  the  hour. 

In  all  of  the  large  towns  the  events  were  celebrated  with  festiv- 
ities. In  Newbury  an  ox  was  killed,  and  the  quarters  roasted  on 
a  huge  gridiron,  near  Rev.  Mr.  Sewell's  meeting-house.  The  pro- 
prietors of  Contoocook  residing  in  Newbury  shared  in  the  enjoy- 
ments of  the  jubilee.  Speeches  were  made,  songs  were  sung,  can- 
non fired,  and  men  drank  punch,  egg-nog,  and  toddy  to  their 
hearts'  content. 


[1760. 


OHAPTEE    Y. 

THE  TOWN. 

^^HE  efforts  of  the  committee  appointed  to  secure  a  town  cliar- 
^^  ter  were  successful.  The  charter  was  granted  on  the  22d 
of  Aprih  to  continue  two  years.  The  reason  for  this  limitation  is 
wholly  a  matter  of  conjecture. 

THE    CHAIITER. 

"Province  of  New  Hampshire  George  the  Second  by  the  Grace  of  God, 

of  Great  Britain,  France  &  Ireland,  King,  Defender  of  the  Faith 

&c. 
"  To  all  whom  these  presents  may  come.  Greeting. 

"Whereas  our  loyal  subjects  inhabitants  of  a  tract  of  land  within 
our  Province  of  New  Hampshire  l^nown  by  the  name  of  Contoocook, 
have  humbly  petitioned  &  requested  that  they  may  be  erected  &  incor- 
porated into  a  township  &  enfranchised  with  the  powers  &  privileges 
which  other  towns  within  our  said  Province  by  law  have  &  enjoy  ;  and 
it  appearing  to  us  to  be  conducive  to  the  general  good  of  our  said  prov- 
ince, as  well  as  to  the  said  inhabitants  in  particular,  by  maintaining 
order  &  encouraging  the  culture  of  lands,  that  the  same  should  be 
done  : 

'"  Know  ye  therefore  that  of  Our  Special  Grace's  certain  knowledge, 
&  for  the  encouraging  the  good  order  &  purpose  aforesaid,  by  &  with 
the  advice  of  our  trusty  &  well  beloved  Penning  Wentworth  Esq,  our 
Governor  &  commander  in  chief  &  of  our  council  for  said  Province  of 
New  Hampshire,  have  erected  &  ordained,  &  by  these  presents,  for  us, 
our  heirs  &  successors,  do  will  &  ordain  that  the  inhabitants  of  the 
tract  of  land  aforesaid  or  that  shall  inhabit  or  improve  thereon,  the 
same  being  limited  &  bounded  as  follows  : 

"  Begining  at  the  southerly  side  of  Contoocook  river's  mouth,  where 
the  same  falls  into  Merrimack  river,  running  theuce  a  course  west  sev- 


mf^ 


^-^-^^ 


Jj^^.'f^^.^/i^'^^ 


1760.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  81 

enteen  degrees  south,  seven  miles  one  hundred  rods,  measured  from  a 
forked  white  pine  near  the  mouth  of  Contoocook  river,  to  a  pitch  pine 
&  heap  of  stones; — &  from  said  pitch  pine  &  heap  of  stones  running 
north  seventeen  degrees  west  seven  miles  to  a  forked  beach  marked ;  & 
thence  on  a  course  east  seventeen  degrees  south  north  to  the  Merri- 
mack river  to  a  heap  of  stones  ;  thence  by  the  river  as  the  same  runs 
to  the  mouth  of  Contoocook  river  again  where  it  began :  Shall  have,  & 
by  these  presents  are  declared,  ordained  to  be  a  town  corporate,  &  are 
hereby  erected  &  incorporated  in  to  a  body  politic  &  corporate,  to  have 
a  continuance  two  years  only  by  the  name  of  Boscawen,  with  all  the 
powers,  authorities,  privileges,  immunities  &  franchises  which  any  other 
town  in  said  Province  by  law  holds  &  enjoys;  always  reserving  to  us, 
our  heirs  &  successors,  all  white  pine  trees  that  are,  or  shall  be  found 
growing,  &  being  on  said  land  fit  for  the  use  of  our  Royal  Navy,  re- 
serving to  us,  our  heirs  &  successors,  the  power  &  right  of  dividing  said 
town  when  it  shall  appear  necessary  &  convenient  for  the  benefit  of  the 
inhabitants  thereof;  Provided  nevertheless^  &  it  is  hereby  declared,  that 
this  our  charter  &  Grant  is  not  intended,  nor  shall  in  any  manner  be 
construed  to  extend  to  or  affect  the  private  property  of  the  soil  within 
the  limits  aforesaid;  &  as  the  several  towns  within  our  said  province 
of  New  Hampshire  are  by  the  laws  thereof  enabled  &  authorized  to 
assemble  &  by  a  majority  of  votes  present  to  choose  all  such  officers  & 
transact  such  aflairs  as  by  said  laws  are  declared. 

"  We  do  by  these  presents  nominate  &  appoint  Col  Joseph  Coffin  Esq 
to  call  the  first  meeting  of  said  inhabitants,  to  be  held  within  said  town 
within  sixty  days  from  the  date  hereof,  by  giving  legal  notice  of  the 
time  &  design  of  holding  such  meeting; — after  which  the  annual  meet- 
ing of  said  town  for  the  choice  of  such  officers  &  the  n)anagement  of 
the  affairs  aforesaid  shall  be  held  within  the  same  on  the  first  Tuesday 
of  March  annually. 

''  In  testimony  whereof,  we  have  caused  the  seal  of  our  said  Province 
to  be  hereunto  afiixed.  Witness  Benning  Wentworth  Esq  our  Gov- 
ernor &  commander  in  chief  of  our  said  Province  of  New  Hampshire, 
this  twenty-second  day  of  April  in  the  thirty-third  year  of  our  reign  & 
in  the  year  of  our  Lord  Christ  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  sixty: 

"  Benning  Wentworth 

"  By  His  Excellency's  Command  with  the  advice  of  the  Council 

''  Theodore  Atkinson  Sec  " 

ADMIRAI,   BOSCAWEN-. 

There  is  but  one  otlier  locality  in  tlie  world  bearing  tbe  name 
of  Boscawen,  and  that  an  island  iu  the  Pacific   ocean,  belonging 
to  the  Navigators'  group.     Both,  were  named  for  the  brave  old 
6 


82  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1760. 

admiral  wlio  Immblecl  the  nav}^  of  France.  It  is  probably  a  name 
of  French  origin.  The  de  Boscawens  were  an  established  family 
as  far  back  as  the  days  of  old  King  John,  who  granted  the  Magna 
Charta,  in  1215,  at  Eunnymede.  The  Boscawen  manor-house  was 
in  Cornish.  From  the  records  of  old  England  we  learn  that 
Henry  de  Boscawen  had  sons,  Eobert  and  Allan,  and  a  daughter 
Mirabell.  There  were  also  Ewej^ne  and  Osbert.  One  married 
John  de  Abalanda,  and  another  Eusada  Reskyners.  One  de 
Boscawen  married  Alice  de  Trevale.  These  are  Norman  names, 
going  to  show  that  the  de  Boscawens  came  into  England  with 
William  the  Conqueror. 

Hugh  de  Boscawen  was,  in  1711,  first  Lord  Viscount  Falmouth. 
His  wife  was  Charlotte  Churchill,  niece  of  the  Duke  of  Marl- 
borough. 

In  that  same  year,  a  baby  came  to  gladden  the  master  and 
mistress  of  the  manor-house,  which  was  named  Edward  de  Bos- 
cawen. 

When  a  boy,  he  was  always  brimming  over  with  fun,  and  was  a 
mimic  withal.  There  was  an  old  butler  in  his  father's  service 
who  had  a  crick  in  the  neck,  and  the  boy,  in  mimicrj-,  carried 
his  neck  in  like  manner,  till  the  jest  became  a  habit,  and 
he  had  a  crick  in  the  neck  through  life.  [Lives  of  English 
Admirals.]  His  father  made  him  a  midshipman  at  an  early  age, 
and  he  was  promoted  so  rapidly  that,  in  1737,  at  the  age  of 
twenty-six,  he  was  placed  in  command  of  the  Leopard,  a  frigate  of 
fifty  guns,  in  the  expedition  of  Admiral  Vernon  against  Cartha- 
gena.  In  1742  he  commanded  the  Dreadnaught,  and  captured 
the  French  frigate  Media.  In  1746  he  commanded  the  Namure, 
and  captured  the  French  frigate  Intrepid,  bearing  despatches 
from  Quebec  to  France.  In  an  engagement  the  next  year  he 
was  wounded  by  a  musket-ball  in  the  shoulder. 

The  next  year  he  was  selected  to  command  the  East  India 
fleet,  with  six  ships  of  the  line,  besides  frigates.  In  1755  he  com- 
manded the  fleet  on  the  North  American  coast,  cruised  off  New- 
foundland to  intercept  French  ships,  and  made  several  captures. 
In  1759  he  was  selected  to  cooperate  with  Wolfe  and  Amherst  for 
the  reduction  of  Canada.  He  sailed  with  a  large  fleet  to  the 
coast  of  France,  and  cruised  off  Toulon  with  fourteen  ships  of  the 
line,  watching  for  an  opportunity  to  cripple  the  last  fleet  at  the 


1760.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  83 

disposal  of  the  Frencli  king.  He  fouglit  a  great  battle  off  Cape 
Vincent,  came  off  victor,  all  but  anniliilated  the  French  navy, 
and  returned  to  England  to  receive  the  applause  of  his  country- 
men. Soon  after  landing  he  was  suddenly  taken  sick,  and  died 
after  a  short  illness. 

A  few  weeks  before  his  death,  the  Hoyal  Magazine  contained 
a  poetical  panegyric  upon  the  heroic  old  admiral.  We  give  a 
stanza  : 

"  This  hero  to  the  brave  will  favor  show, 
But  to  the  coward  is  a  deadly  foe; 
Strenuous  for  combat,  dauntless  as  a  tar, 
He  may  be  called  the  thunderbolt  of  war." 

The  citizens  of  Boscawen  selected  an  honorable  name  for  their 
town.  The  orthography  of  the  word  has  been  rendered  in  many 
ways,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  following  list,  kept  by  Mr.  Daniel  D. 
Webster  when  in  charge  of  the  post-office  in  Boscawen  : 

"  Copied  from  letters  sent  to  Boscawen  P.  O.,  from  April,  1859,  to 
March  15,  1861: 

1.  Boscawen.  18.  Boscewine. 

2.  Bascawane.  19.  Boscoine. 

3.  Bascawine.  20.  Boscouin. 

4.  Bas  Coeuen.  21.  Boscowena. 

5.  Baskawen.  22.  Boscuen. 

6.  Basquine.  23.  Boscwen. 

7.  Boscauquine.  24.  Boskaewen. 

8.  Boscawaen.  25.  Bos  Quane. 

9.  Boscawane.  26.  Bos  Quene  Planys. 

10.  Boscaweain.  27.  Bosquine. 

11.  Boscawene.  28.  Bosquiues. 

12.  Bos  Cawean.  29.  Bosquiny. 

13.  Boscawean.  30.  Boys  Coyn. 

14.  Boscawiane.  31.  Booscwen. 

15.  Boscawine.  32.  Buscawwin. 

16.  Boscawn,  33.  Buskaine." 

17.  Bosceane. 

THE    FIRST     TOWN-MEETING. 

The  first  town-meeting  was  called  by  the  proprietors'  clerk, 
Joseph  Coffin. 

"  This  may  inform  the  Free  holders  &  other  inhabitants  of  the  plan- 
tation formerly  called  Contoocook  Is  now  by  his  excellency  Benning 


84  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1760. 

Wentworth  Esq  Governor  &c  In  &  over  His  Majesty's  Province  of  New- 
Hampshire  made  and  Incorporated  and  Invested  with  Town  privileges 
and  the  nominees  thereof  is  by  His  Excellency's  People  called  Boscawen, 
the  said  Freeholders  and  Inhabitants  are  hereby  notified  to  meet  at  the 
Meeting  House  in  said  Town  on  the  third  Wednesday  In  June  at  Nine 
of  the  clock  before  noon  to  choose  a  town  clerk  assessors  and  all  other 
Town  officers  for  the  year  ensuing  as  the  Law  Directs.  By  order  of 
His  Excellency 

"  JosKPii  Coffin 

"  April  30  1760." 

June  18.  At  the  meeting  thus  called,  Joseph  Coffin  was  chosen 
moderator,  George  Jackman,  Jr.,  town-clerk,  John  Webster,  En- 
sign John  Fowler,  and  Capt.  Joseph  Eastman  selectmen  and  as- 
sessors, Benjamin  Eastman  constable,  Andrew  Bohonon  surveyor 
of  highways,  and  Dea.  George  Jackman  and  Moses  Burbank 
fence-viewers. 

Voted,  that  the  selectmen  furnish  a  town  pound. 

CALL    TO    REV.    KOBIE    MORRILL. 

July  10.     A  town-meeting  was  held  this  date. 

"Voted  to  raise  £1200  old  tenor— £800  upon  the  Rights,  and  £400 
on  the  Polls  &  stakes  [polls  and  estates]  for  supplying  the  Desk  and 
other  necessary  charges." 

Dea.  George  Jackman,  Capt.  Joseph  Eastman,  Ensign  John 
Eowler,  and  Thomas  Carter,  were  chosen  to  give  a  call  to  Rev. 
Robie  Morrill,  to  become  the  minister  of  the  town. 

proprietors'  clerk. 

With  the  election  of  George  Jackman  as  town-clerk,  and  also 
as  clerk  of  the  proprietors,  the  official  connection  of  Joseph  Coffin 
with  the  town  ceased.  For  twenty-eight  years  he  had  filled  the  office 
of  proprietors'  clerk.  He  resided  at  Newbury,  and  not  only  at- 
tended all  the  meetings  there,  but,  from  anything  that  appears  in 
the  records  to  the  contrary,  also  attended  the  meetings  held  in 
Contoocook.  The  records  were  clearly  and  concisely  kept.  The 
papers  drawn  by  him  were  so  lucid,  that  tliey  might  be  compre- 
hended by  the  smallest  intellect.  With  the  exception  of  the 
years  from  1757  to  1760,  the  records  are  intact.  Possibly  no- 
regular  meeting  of  the  proprietors  was  held  while  the  petition 
for  a  charter  was  pending. 


1760.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  85 

George  Jackman,  Jr.,  who  succeeded  Col.  Joseph  Coffin,  was 
reelected  for  thirty-five  years  in  succession.  Thus,  for  a  period  of 
sixty-three  years,  the  records  were  kept  by  two  competent  men. 

THE    SETTLEMENTS. 

The  settlements  at  this  time  were  almost  wholly  on  King  and 
Queen  streets.  Very  few  settlers  had  gone  west  of  Cold  brook. 
The  only  road  leading  west  was  the  road  through  the  Gulf,  to- 
wards Great  pond.  A  road  from  Queen  street  joined  it,  probably 
not  far  from  the  old  burial-ground.  These  highways  were  only 
cart-paths.  Mr.  Ephraini  Woodbury  had  taken  up  his  resi- 
dence on  the  plot  of  land  now  known  as  Woodbury  plain. 
There  were  settlers  on  Fish  street,  and  Benjamin  Eastman 
was  living  on  High  street.  Edward  Emery's  cabin,  and  pos- 
sibly Thomas  Cook's,  near  Little  brook,  Avere  standing  —  ten- 
antless.  Jacob  and  Jesse  Flanders  had  begun  their  clearings 
at  the  lower  end  of  Water  street ;  but  westward  of  Water  street 
there  were  no  settlements. 

FRAMED      HOUSES. 

Framed  houses  were  beginning  to  take  the  place  of  log  cabins. 
It  is  not  known  who  erected  the  first,  but  the  house  lately  occu- 
pied by  Mr.  Franklin  Morrill,  by  his  father  Benjamin  Morrill,  and 
by  Rev.  Robie  Morrill,  probably  is  the  oldest  framed  house  now 
standing ; — possibly  it  may  have  been  the  first  erected. 

SOLDIERS    FOR    THE     REDUCTION    OF    CANADA. 

It  would  seem  that  some  of  the  citizens  of  Boscawen  enlisted  in 
the  service  for  the  final  reduction  of  Canada.  In  the  Boston 
Gazette  for  July  11  is  an  advertisement  showing  that  all  had  not 
joined  their  company  at  the  appointed  rendezvous. 

"July  11,  1760 
"  Return  of  men  enlisted  by  Cap  Alexander  McNuttiu  the  Province  of 
New  Hampshire  for  the  total  Reduction  of  Canada,  who  have  declined 
appearing  at  the  Place  of  Rendezvous 
William  Smith     \ 
J3enjamin  Rand   J- of  Contoocook 
Joseph  Atkinson  ) 
"  Whoever  will  take  up  the  above  Deserters  or  any  one  of  them  shall 


86  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1761. 

receive  Ten  Dollars  for  each  man  provided  they  are  delivered  in  Boston 
to  said  Captain  Alexander  McXutt  at  the  sign  of  the  Black  Horse  at 
Capt  Richardson's  at  the  south  end." 

The  records  of  Boscawen  malce  no  mention  of  William  Smith 
and  Benjamin  Band.  It  is  probable  that  they  were  residents  of 
other  towns,  who  enlisted  to  obtain  the  bounty  that  may  have 
been  offered. 

THE    FIKST    SCHOOL. 

March  3.  At  this  first  annual  meeting  after  the  organization 
of  the  town,  an  appropriation  of  thirty  pounds  was  made  for  a 
school,  to  be  kept  two  months.  The  teacher  employed  was  Mr. 
Varney,  who  had  preached  for  a  short  time  after  the  death  of  Eev. 
Mr.  Stevens.  He  was  the  first  teacher  employed  in  the  town.  If 
a  school  was  taught  prior  to  this  date,  it  was  a  private  affair. 
Probably  none  was  taught,  and  the  instruction  received  by  the 
children  was  given  by  their  parents.  The  hardships  had  been  too 
great,  and  the  country  too  much  disturbed  by  the  frequent  Indian 
alarms  and  the  marchings  to  and  from  Ticonderoga  and  Crown 
Point,  to  admit  of  any  organized  effort  in  educational  matters. 
It  is  gratifying  to  know  that  almost  the  first  appropriation  of  the 
town  was  for  public  instruction.  It  was  a  significant  indication 
of  its  future  prosperity. 

A  committee  was  chosen,  consisting  of  Eichard  Blood  and  John 
Webster,  for  the  purpose  thus  set  forth  : 

"  To  call  the  Committee  to  an  account  what  they  have  Don  with  the 
Income  of  the  Parsonage  and  School  Land  Savril  year  Past  &  to  give 
an  account  to  the  selectmen  of  the  same." 

Voted,  "  that  Joseph  Eastman,  John  Blanders  and  Moses  Call 
settle  accounts  with  Mr.  Scales  for  preaching." 

Voted,  "  that  the  selectmen  settle  with  the  constable  &  pay  him 
as  much  upon  the  Bound  for  gathering  Rates  as  is  customary  in 
other  towns." 

SETTLEMENT    OF    REV.    ROBIE     MORRILL. 

June  11.  It  was  voted  in  town-meeting  "  that  we  Eaise  one 
hundred  pounds  old  tenor  for  moving  up  Mr  Eobie  Morrill  from 
Chester." 

"  Voted  that  we  raise  £200  old  tenor  for  providing  ordination." 
"  Voted  that  we  call  Mr  llobie  Morrill  to  settle  with  us  in  the  Gospel 
ministry." 


1762.] 


CIVIL    HISTORY.  8T 


Joseph  Hoit,  Thomas  Foss,  and  Moses  Call  were  chosen  a  com- 
mittee to  lirovide  for  the  ordination. 

The  proprietors  held  a  meeting,  and  took  concurrent  action  in 
regard  to  the  settlement  of  Mr.  Morrill. 

Dec.  18.  The  town  voted  "  that  we  give  Mr  Eobie  Morrill 
seven  hundred  pounds  old  tenor  for  the  year  from  the  settlement 

at  the  Kate  of  Dollars  at  six  pound  per  dollar  &  to  Rise 

fifty  pound  a  year  till  it  comes  to  one  thousand  old  tenor  &  there 
to  be  stated  at  that  &  the  privilege  of  the  parsonage  at  25  cords 
of  Good  Wood  at  his  house  or  place  of  habitation  yearly  from  Set- 
tlement so  Longe  as  he  shall  continue  to  be  our  minister." 

They  kept  good  fires  in  those  days  ;  but  the  chimneys  were 
large,  the  fire-places  wide,  and  twenty-five  cords  was  not  an  ex- 
cessive amount  of  wood. 

"  Voted  that  we  give  Mr.  Eobie  Morrill  a  Right  of  Land  aquivelent 
to  a  right  of  Land  for  his  one  for  ever  and  free  from  charges  so  Long 
as  he  shall  continue  to  be  our  minister." 

The  action  of  the  town  and  that  of  the  proprietors,  in  thus 
conferring  upon  Mr.  Morrill  a  right  of  land  in  the  town,  is  a 
testimonial  of  the  generosity  of  the  inhabitants  ;  but  it  was  a 
nest-egg  which  subsequently  hatched  out  a  brood  of  treubles,  as 
will  be  seen  by  and  by. 

Mr.  Morrill  was  ordained  December  29,  but  no  record  has  come 
down  to  us  of  the  proceedings. 

SELECTMEN^'S    ACCOUNTS. 

The  accounts  of  the  selectmen  furnish  some  information  in  re- 
gard to  the  customs  of  the  times  : 

"  Paid  Mr  Varney  for  keeping  school  1760  £30 —  0 —  0 

Paid  Capt  Gerrish  for  a  journey  after  a  minister  12—10—  0 

To  Capt  Gerrish  for  a  journey  for  the  same  17 — 14 —  0 

To  John  Fowler  for  three  Bowls  of  punch  at  a  Ven- 
due in  bidding  on  town's  meadow  1 — 16 —  0 
Paid  Mr  John  Webster  for  moving  up  Mr  Morrill       16—10—  0 
Paid  to  Dea  Jackman  for  providing  for  ordination     1-10-  0—  0  " 

MR.  MORRILL'S    LAND. 

1762.  The  proprietors,  at  the  meeting  held  June  2,  procured 
a  right  of  land  of  Maj.  Samuel  Gerrish,  at  the  expense  of  £1,000 


o8  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1762. 

New  Hampshire  money,  and  conferred  tlie  same  upon  Rev.  Mr. 
Morrill  and  liis  heirs  forever.  This  was  in  accordance  with  a  vote 
of  the  town,  passed  at  a  previous  meeting. 

TOWN    MATTERS. 

It  was  voted  to  lay  out  the  common  land,  and  John  Brown  was 
chosen  surveyor.  Stephen  Gerrish,  Samuel  Gerrish,  John  Web- 
ster, and  Samuel  Moody  were  appointed  a  committee  to  act  with 
Mr.  Brown. 

It  was  voted  that  Samuel  Fowler  should  be  exempted  from  pay- 
ing a  minister's  tax. 

"  PAINS." 

At  this  meeting  the  following  vote  was  passed  : 

"  Voted  that  every  man  who  built  a  Pain  in  the  fort  have  liberty  to 
take  it  away." 

This  has  reference  to  the  houses  erected  by  the  settlers  in  the 
fort,  during  the  trouble  with  the  Indians.  Wlience  the  origin  of 
the  word  "  pain "  ?  It  undoubtedly  is  a  corruption  of  "  pent- 
house " — "  a  shed,  standing  aslope  from  the  main  wall."  [Web- 
ster.] The  houses  would  naturally  have  but  one  roof — a  "pent- 
roof" — '*one  whose  slope  is  all  on  one  side."     [Webster.] 

BOUNDAKY    BETWEEN"    BOSCAWEN    AND    SALISBURY. 

At  a  special  toAvn-meeting,  Nathaniel  Danforth,  John  Webster, 
and  Peter  Coffin  were  chosen  a  committee  to  settle  the  line  and 
bounds  between  Boscawen  and  Salisbury.  Peter  Coffin,  though 
a  proprietor,  was  at  the  time  living  in  Newbury,  and  probably 
was  selected  to  rej^resent  the  proprietors. 

CONSTABLE    JOHN    WEBSTER's    ACCOUNT 1762. 

"  Credit  by  money  pd  Province  treasurer  601 —  8 —  8 

"  "  "  "  121—  5—  0 

Credit  to  money  paid  to  Rev<^  mr  Morrill  233 —  6 —  8 

Credit  by  bad  money  on  John  Smith's  ministers 

tax  2—12—  0 

[So  John  Smith  was  a  citizen  of  Boscawen  in  1762, 

and  his  money  was  bad!] 
Credit  by  money  Discounted  to  mr  webster  for  Sar- 

ving  a  warrant  and  charges  in  carrying  a  woman 

out  of  town  3 — 14 —  0 


1763.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  89 

Credit  by  bad  money  15 — 13 —  6 

Credit  by  25  cords  of  Wood  to  Mr  Morrill  175—  0—  0 

Credit  for  collecting  money  56 — 10 —  0 


1209—  9—  2  " 
111  the  call  for  the  aimiial  meeting,  held  March  3,  this  year,  was 
an  article  "■  To  see  if  the  Inhabitants  &  Proprietors  will  give  the 
privilege  of  a  saw  mill  with  Land  convenient  for  the  same  on 
the  brook  which  leads  from  Great  Pond  near  the  mouth  of  the 
same  to  any  party  of  men  who  shall  appear  to  build  the  same ; 
also  to  see  what  we  wiU  do  consarning  a  highway  which  runs 
through  John  Flanders  Land  to  Great  Pond ;  also  to  see  what 
we  will  do  in  respect  of  procuring  a  highway  Into  the  upper  Inter- 
vale." 

At  the  meeting,  the  clause  in  regard  to  the  saw-mill  was  not 
acted  upon.  In  regard  to  the  highway,  Capt.  Stephen  Gerrish 
and  Capt.  John  Eastman  were  chosen  to  view  the  highway  through 
John  Flanders's  land,  and  report  at  the  next  meeting.  This  road 
was  that  leading  from  the  lower  end  of  Water  street  to  Great 
pond. 

At  this  meeting,  Ensign  John  Flanders  and  Capt.  Stephen  Ger- 
rish were  chosen  deer-keepers,  and  Capt.  Joseph  Eastman  and 
Enos  Bishop  hogreeves. 

PROPKIETOKS'    MEETING. 

1763.  A  meeting  of  the  proprietors  was  held  January  5,  but 
for  some  cause,  without  transacting  any  business,  was  adjourned 
to  June  1. 

The  original  act  of  incorporation  Avas  to  continue  in  force  for 
only  two  years.  The  time  having  expired,  the  town  petitioned 
for  a  renewal  of  the  charter,  which  was  granted. 

proprietors'  meeting. 

A  meeting  of  the  proprietors  was  held  June  1. 

**  It  was  put  to  vote  whether  the  Proprietors  would  give  the  Privelege 
of  the  Great  Pond  brook  to  Mr.  John  Flanders  for  erecting  a  saw  mill 
thereon  &  it  was  voted  in  the  negative." 

"  Voted  that  Mr  Robie  Morrill  should  chose  the  Right  or  share  of 
land  belonging  to  him — Cold  brook  No  3." 


90 


CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1764. 


That  settlements  had  heen  extended  south-west  of  Queen  street, 
is  evident  fi-om  a  vote  passed  at  this  meeting : 

"  That  John  Webster  be  allowed  to  draw  the  Peace  of  land  adjoining 
to  him  marked  with  the  Letter  X  for  the  Half  share  of  the  Right  of 
John  Noj'es  &  a  piece  of  land  at  the  upper  end  of  Dagodon  meadow 
for  the  half  of  Joseph  Tappau,  provided  he  will  allow  a  cart  way- 
through  the  first  mentioned  peace  tvhere  it  now  is." 

The  town  gave  Eev.  Mr.  Morrill  the  privilege  of  using  tlie 
school  and  meeting-house  lots  for  a  pasture  for  the  term  of 
four  years. 

The  town  confirmed  several  informal  votes,  passed  during  the 
years  1758,  '59,  and  '60,  while  the  petition  for  a  charter  was  in 
the  hands  of  the  General  Court. 

Mr.  John  Webster  having  procured  a  renewal  of  the  town  char- 
ter, wliich  was  received  in  October,  the  regular  meeting  for  the 
choice  of  officers  was  held  November  1,  those  chosen  continuing  in 
office  till  the  next  March. 

Mr.  Webster  was  paid  £82  old  tenor  for  his  services — "72  Days 
man  &  horse." 

WARNING    OUT. 

The  first  warning  out,  as  it  was  called,  in  the  history  of  the 
town  after  its  incorporation,  occurred  this  year,  as  per  record. 

"  This  may  certify  that  John  Uran  with  his  wife  and  children  was  on 
the  5th  Day  of  Feb  1763  Legally  warned  to  Depart  from  the  town  of 
Boscaweu  within  the  time  which  the  Law  directs  by  us  the  subscrib- 
ers. 

"  Boscaweu  Feb  5.  1763 

"■  George  Jackman 
John  Flanders 

Selectmen  " 

March  6,  1764.  The  town  met  at  the  meeting-house,  chose  Mr. 
John  Fowler  moderator  and  Mr.  George  Jackman  clerk,  and  then, 
"it  being  cold,  the  meeting  was  adjourned  to  Capt  John  Powler's 
to  be  held  in  haK  an  hour." 

Upon  assembling  in  Mr.  Fowler's  house,  the  following  vote 
was  passed : 

Voted,  that  Moses  Call  he  paid  "ten  pounds  old  tenor  for 
services  as  constable  ensuing  jeav  exclusive  of  what  is  custom- 
ary for  gathering  on  the  pound." 


li 


f 


f  Y./  /^..Z^ 


^  I  i^7^  ^"^ 


1764.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  91 

Dea.  Jesse  Flanders,  Oliver  Fowler,  and  Ensign  Henrj^  Ger- 
risli  were  appointed  to  call  former  selectmen  to  account. 

This  is  the  first  appearance  in  town  affairs  of  Col.  Henry  Ger- 
rish,  who,  from  this  time  on  till  1790,  held  many  offices  of  trust 
and  honor  at  the  hands  of  his  fellow-citizens. 

Capt.  Stephen  Gerrish  and  Capt.  John  Flanders  were  appointed 
to  set  the  time  when  the  lower  intervale  should  be  opened  in  the 
sj^ring  and  closed  in  the  fall. 

TAXES. 

It  was  voted  that  the  constable  should  have  one  shilling  in  the 
pound  for  collecting  the  taxes. 

The  rates  charged  Constable  Moses  Call  for  the  year  are  thus 
divided : 

"  to  a  province  tax  £171 —  1 —  6 

to  a  minister's  tax  822 — 17 —  0 

to  the  town  rates  111 — 16 —  0 

to  a  wood  Rate  135 — 00 —  0 


12G0— M—  6  " 
The  wood  rate  was  for  wood  to  be  supplied  to  Eev.  Mr.  Morrill, 
and  if  added  to  his  salary  makes  £957  paid  for  sustaining  relig- 
ious privileges,  against  £303  for  all  other  town  expenses,  or  more 
than  two  thirds  of  the  whole  !  Not  lightly  did  the  men  of  the 
time  value  their  religious  instructions. 

In  the  constable's  account  are  these  items  : 

"  Discounted  Savrill  Rates  of  Churchmen's  taxes  £153 —  5 —  0 

Paid  to  Doctor  Carter  for  medicine  to  a  transient 

woman  8—  0—  0  " 

"  Doctor  Carter  "  was  Dr.  Ezra  Carter,  of  Concord.  There  was 
no  physician  in  Boscawen  at  this  date. 

By  discounting  the  taxes  against  Friends  and  those  who  ad- 
hered to  the  Church  of  England,  the  town  acted  honorably  and 
justly.     The  citizens  were  in  no  sense  bigots. 

A  town-meeting  was  held  December  27,  at  the  house  of  John 
Fowler,  "  To  see  if  the  Inhabitants  will  pass  a  vote  to  Defend 
the  Constable  for  the  present  year,  from  Damage  by  Delaying  to 
Colect  the  province  Bate  for  som  farther  time  as  shall  then  be 
agreed  on." 


92  CIVIL   HISTORY,  [1765. 

It  was  voted  not  to  defend  the  constable,  Moses  Call.  The  cit- 
izens believed  that  men  should  be  held  responsible.  Duty  was  an 
obligation. 

No  school  was  taught  during  the  year,  unless  by  private  sub- 
scription, the  town  not  having  made  an  appropriation. 

The  paper  money  having  depreciated,  the  town  voted  to  make 
good  the  salary  of  Mr.  Morrill,  against  which  Capt.  Stephen  Ger- 
rish  entered  his  dissent.  The  indemnity  was  £200  old  tenor  for 
two  years,  at  the  rate  of  £6  per  dollar  for  the  first  year,  and  £7 
per  dollar  for  the  second  year. 

FIRST    LAWSUIT. 

July  17,  1765.  The  first  action  in  law,  in  which  the  town  was 
a  party,  occurred  this  year.  At  the  regular  town-meeting,  which 
was  held  on  this  day,  besides  choosing  officers,  a  committee  was  ap- 
pointed— George  Jackman,  Jr.,  and  Thomas  Carter — "to  answer 
to  the  action  commenced  by  Maj.  Samuel  Gerrish  against  said  pro- 
prietors, also  for  any  other  suits  that  maybe  brought."  What  the 
question  in  dispute  may  have  been  does  not  appear. 

Voted  "  to  lay  out  a  highway  from  Marlborough  street  to  Con- 
toocook,  in  the  most  convenient  jilace  for  building  a  bridge  over 
the  same." 

Capt.  Stephen  Gerrish,  Capt.  Joseph  Eastman,  and  Thomas 
Foss  were  chosen  a  committee  to  lay  out  said  highway. 

The  rates  charged  to  Constable  Thomas  Carter  were, — 

"  To  a  Province  tax  297—  0—  9 

To  a  Ministers'  tax  848 —  1 — 11 

To  a  Town  Rate  178—12—  6 

To  Money  or  Wood  148—  0—  8 


1472—  0—  8 
the  same  in  Lawful  Money  73 — 12 —  0  " 

BRIDGE    OVER    THE    COXTOOCOOK. 

Athough  the  proprietors,  soon  after  settling  the  town,  had 
chosen  a  committee  to  construct  a  bridge  across  the  Contoocook 
river,  nothing  had  been  done  in  regard  to  it.  All  communication 
between  the  towns  of  Concord  and  Boscawen  was  by  ferry ;  but  it 
was  now  resolved  to  construct  a  bridge.  Both  towns  engaged  in 
the  enterprise,  sharing  equally  in  the  cost,  although  the  site  se- 


1765.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  9S 

lected  for  its  construction  brought  it  wholly  within  Boscawen.  It 
was  located  in  the  bend  of  the  river,  above  the  Harris  woollen 
mill,  near  the  residence  of  Capt.  John  Chandler,  in  1765.  The 
builders  were  John  Flanders  of  Boscawen,  and  Henry  Love  joy  of 
Concord. 

The  contract  specified  that  it  was  to  be  constructed  with  "  king 
posts "  and  "  long  braces."  It  was  the  first  bridge  that  ever 
spanned  the  Contoocook. 

March  4,  1766.  Voted  £200  old  tenor  to  defray  town  charges ; 
"  that  all  ox  sleds  shall  be  made  four  feet ;  that  all  &  every  per- 
son that  shall  not  observe  this  vote  <&  make  their  sleds  accord- 
ingly, being  an  inhabitant  of  this  town  shall  for  each  offence  be 
liable  to  pay  a  fine  of  one  shilling  Lawful  money  for  each  of- 
fence." 

Voted  "  that  there  should  be  four  days  worked  out  on  the  high 
way  by  each  man  &  no  more  except  necessary." 

CALLING    THE    SELECTMEN    TO    ACCOUNT. 

May  15.  Winthrop  Carter,  Moses  Morse,  and  Peter  Kimball 
were  chosen  to  settle  the  accoimts  of  the  selectmen  for  1761  and 
1765,  "  to  know  what  the}'  have  done  with  the  money  that  has 
been  assessed  in  said  year,  and  also  to  call  the  selectmen  to  an  ac- 
count concerning  the  improvement  of  the  school  intervale." 

Voted  to  make  Rev.  Mr.  Morrill's  salary  "good,  agreeable  to 
the  vote  in  his  settlement." 

DISCOURSING    VS^ITH    REV.    MR.    MORRILL. 

Sept.  15.  "  It  was  put  to  vote  to  see  if  said  town  or  inhabi- 
tants will  chose  a  committee  to  discourse  with  Mr.  Robie  Morrill. 
Voted  in  the  affirmative." 

The  action  of  the  town  in  voting  jMr.  Morrill  a  lot  of  land,  and 
the  later  vote  to  indemnify  him  on  account  of  the  depreciation  of 
the  currency,  caused  much  dissatisfaction  :  hence  the  above  vote. 
The  committee  "  to  discourse  "  with  Mr.  Morrill  consisted  of  John 
Fowler,  Jesse  Flanders,  Moses  Call,  Oliver  Hoyt,  and  Joseph 
Fowler,  who  were  to  see  on  what  terms  he  would  consent  to  a  dis- 
mission. 

Sept.  29.     The   committee   reported   Mr.    Morrill's   proposals,. 


94  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1766. 

which  were  rejected  hy  the  town.     They  subsequently  rej^ortecT  a 
second  proposition  from  him,  which  was  accepted. 

MR.    MOKKILL's    PROPOSITIOJ^. 

1.  ''  If  the  town  of  Boscawen  vote  that  I  shall  be  free  from  all  rates 
excepting  proprietors'  tax  on  what  I  do  or  shall  possess  in  Boscawen 
until  the  end  of  the  year  1776,  not  exceeding  30  acres  of  improved  land, 
four  ratable  heads  of  stock,  &  no  wild  land  not  exceeding  the  quantity 
of  one  whole  right  being  rated  by  the  town  &  that  my  heirs  be  free  in 
same  manner  if  I  decease. 

2.  "  That  I  or  my  heirs  if  I  decease  have  the  full  use  of  the  pasture 
two  years  longer,  which  the  proprietors  voted  me  for  the  sum  of  £25 
old  tenor.     [This  was  the  school  lot  and  parsonage  on  King  street.] 

3.  "  That  the  Town  pay  my  salary  as  first  voted  excepting  their  pro- 
portion who  joined  themselves  to  the  Church,  this  year  &  the  last  ex- 
cepting their  proportion  after  they  signed  &  that  they  pay  me  all  the 
rest,  If  any  leave  the  Church  excepting  what  the  town  excuses. 

4.  "  That  I  be  free  from  the  charge  of  the  Council. 

5.  "  That  I  have  a  copy  of  the  subscriptions  concerning  me.  If  these 
things  are  this  day  complied  with  to  my  mind  I  will  ask  a  dismission 
this  year  176.G.  R.  Morrill." 

DISMISSIOjST    of    rev.   MR.    MORRILL. 

The  proposition  was  accepted,  and  a  committee  was  ajipointed 
to  represent  the  town  in  dismissing  Mr.  Morrill,  the  town  voting 
to  pay  the  expenses  of  the  council.  Pastor  and  people  alike  seem 
to  have  acted  fairly  and  honorably.  Mr.  Morrill  remained  in 
town,  gave  himself  to  every  good  work,  and  was  respected  and  hon- 
ored by  his  fellow-citizens.  He  taught  school  many  years,  teaching 
in  private  houses  in  the  various  districts,  before  the  erection  of 
school-houses. 

JUSTICE    OF    THE    PEACE. 

In  Rev.  Mr.  Price's  histor}^,  it  is  stated  that  George  Jackman, 
Jr.,  was  appointed  justice  of  the  peace  in  1760,  by  His  Majesty's 
authority,  George  II.  "We  have  not  been  able  to  verify  the  state- 
ment. George  III  was  now  on  the  throne,  and  from  the  petition 
given  below  it  would  seem  that  George  Jackman  received  his  ap- 
pointment under  George  III,  in  1766  : 

"  To  His  Excellency  Benning  "Wentworth  &c 

"  Whereas  the  Town  of  Boscawen  in  said  Province  has  ever  since  its 
first  settlement  been  destitute  of  a  commissioned  Justice  of  the  peace 


1766.]  CIVIL   HISTORY.  95 

such  an  office  being  often  needed  (more  especially  since  our  Late  favor- 
able Incorporation  by  your  excellency)  we  the  subscribers  and  Inhabi- 
tants of  said  town  pray  your  excellency  to  commissionate  Mr.  George 
Jackman  junior  of  said  Town  to  be  justice  of  the  Peace,  he  havino-  de- 
served well  for  several  years  Last  past  in  the  acceptable  discharge  of 
public  Trust  to  him  committed  and  your  petitioners  will  ever  pray 
for  the  granting  of  their  prayer. 
"Boscawen  January  29,  1766 

"  Ezra  Carter  Thomas  Corset 

John  Fowler  Eph™    "Woodbury 

Thomas  Carter  Jesse  Flanders 

John  Webster  Stephen  Call, 

John  Flanders  Moses  Foster   petitions  tho' 

William  Emery  not     an    Inhabitant     of 

John  Corser  Boscawen." 

ITEMS    FROM    THE    SELECTMEN'S    ACCOUNT 1766. 

"  Paid  to  the  selectmen  for  perambulating  the  line  between        g 

Boscawen  and  Almsbury  [Warner]  4 —  0 

paid  Nathan  Corser  for  wolf's  head  4 —  0 

Paid  Capt  Eastman  for  entertainment  for  the  council  at  £ 

Mr  Morrill's  Dismission  1 —  4 —  0 
Paid  ]\Ir  Thomas  Foss  the  Sum  of  Savin  shilling  for  his 
Sarvice  toward  Laying  out  highways  &  perambula- 
ting between  Boscawen  &  hopkinton  0 —  7 —  0 
Paid  mr  William  Jerome  for  preaching  two  Days  2 —  8 —  0 
paid  Capt  fov/ler   to   expense  of  the  town  in  the  house 

[Mr.  Fowler's]  3—  0—  0 

at  another  time  paid  him  for  two  Bowls  of  punch  1 —  8 —  0 

at  another  bowl  of  punch  for  the  Justice  0 — 14  — 0 
paid    Capt  fowler  for   entertaining  Rev'i  mr  ware  after 

preaching  2 —  0 —  0 

paid  him  for  keeping  mr  morrills  horse  some  time  4 —  0 —  0 
also  paid  Capt  Fowler  for  entertaining  Som  of  the  Com- 
mittee that  ware  chosen  to  appoint  a  place  for  a 

meeting  house  6 —  0 —  0 
Remaining  on  his  Book  not  settled  Savrill  persons  Rates 
who  call  themselves  churchmen  the  whole  of  the 

money  being  6 —  9 —  0" 

ITEM    FROM    CONSTABLE    THOMAS    CARTER's    ACCOUNT. 

"  Credit  to  warning  moses   Danford's  wife  out  of  Town 

&  returning  ye  warrant  7 —  9 —  3" 


96  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1766. 

MR.    MORRILL's     accounts. 

In  1775  a  committee  was  appointed  to  adjust  the  town's  ac- 
counts, whicli  were  in  arrear,  going  back  to  the  incorporation  in 
1660.  In  connection  with  the  settlement  with  Rev.  Mr.  Morrill, 
that  gentleman  made  the  entry,  as  below,  on  the  records : 

"  March  4,  1766 
"These  adjusted  accounts  with  the  selectmen  of  Boscawen,  re- 
specting all  things  but  the  wood  rate  which  remains  unsettled  from 
the  beginning  of  the  world  to  the  end  of  my  third  year's  salary,  which 
ended  Dec  28,  1764  &  there  was  due  me  from  the  town  of  Boscawen 
upon  balance  respecting  that  time,  the  full  &  just  sum  of  one  hundred 
&  seventy-five  pounds,  fourteen  shillings  &  six-pence  old  tenor. 
"175 — 14 — 6  RoBiE  Morrill" 

There  is  also  the  following  entry  by  Mr.  Morrill  : 

''  The  subscriber  remits  to  his  People,  and  never  will  require  the 
Inhabitants  of  Boscawen  to  make  up  to  him,  that  proportion  of  his  sal- 
ary due  or  to  be  paid  the  year  1765  &  1766  which  proportion  would 
have  belonged  to  any  Inhabitants  of  Boscawen  to  pay,  if  they  had  not 
been  made  free  from  it  by  law,  so  that  no  Inhabitants  of  this  town, 
shall  ever  be  required  by  me  or  by  my  heirs  any  more,  by  means  of 
any  inhabitant  being  exempted  from  paying  toward  my  salary  due  or 

to  be  paid  this  year  and  the  last 

"  RoBiE  Morrill." 

This  action  of  Mr.  Morrill  undoubtedly  was  prompted  by  a 
sincere  desire  on  his  part  to  allay  all  irritation  in  regard  to  the 
levying  of  taxes  to  make  good  the  deficiency  of  his  salary  caused 
by  the  depreciation  of  the  bills  of  New  Hampshire  old  tenor. 
Capt.  Stephen  Gerrish,  a  prominent  citizen,  had  protested  at  the 
outset  against  indemnifying  Mr.  Morrill.  The  levying  of  the  tax 
had  caused  several  citizens  to  declare  themselves  churchmen,  to 
escape  the  payment  of  all  ministerial  rates.  The  growing  dis- 
satisfaction had  caused  the  dismissal  of  Mr.  Morrill,  but  it  was 
so  deep-seated  and  wide-spread,  that  the  collector  could  not  collect 
the  rates  levied  on  the  proprietors,  and  legal  proceedings  were  begun 
to  recover  rates  levied  and  paid  for  the  land  purchased  and  settled 
upon  Mr.  Morrill.  Under  the  law,  the  proprietors  were  powerless 
to  collect  the  rates,  and  they  accordingly  petitioned  the  legislature 
for  relief : 


17G7.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  97 

"  To  His  Excellency  the  Hon  Banning  Wentworth  &  the  Hon  Council 

&  House  of  Representatives. 

"  The  Petition  of  us  the  subscribers  hereby  showeth  that  the  Propri- 
etors of  the  Town  of  Boscawen  have  at  their  meetings  from  time  to 
time  voted  sums  of  money  as  they  thought  needful  to  carry  on  their 
publick  affairs  and  particularly  a  sum  of  money  to  purchase  a  Riglit  of 
land  in  said  Town  of  Boscawen  for  the  encouragement  of  the  settlino- 
a  Gospel  minister  in  the  Town. 

"  The  Right  has  been  purchased  &  given  to  the  Rev  Robie  Morrill. 
The  money  has  been  assessed  and  such  original  Right  was  pro- 
portionately Taxed.  And  now  for  the  want  of  Legal  power  to  collect 
said  money  some  part  of  said  proprietors  (notwithstanding  their  for- 
wardness in  voting  said  money)  neglect  or  Refuses  to  pay  their  equal 
part  thereof  &  for  want  of  said  money's  being  collected  and  paid  in 
there  is  an  action  in  Law  commenced  against  said  proprietors  in  order 
to  recover  said  money  which  is  greatly  to  the  prejudice  &  Damage  of 
the  rest  of  said  proprietors  who  have  paid  their  full  part  of  said  money 
&  tends  greatly  to  hinder  the  propagation  and  settlement  of  the  same. 

"  Therefore  we  Humbly  pray  your  excellency  &  Honors  to  Invest 
said  proprietors  with  full  power  &  legal  authority  to  collect  what  money- 
hath  already  been  or  shall  hereafter  be  voted  by  said  proprietors  for 
their  use  by  making  sale  of  Delinquent  proprietors  Land  or  in  any 
other  way  your  excellency  &  Honors  in  your  Great  Wisdom  shall  think 
best  &  your  petitioners  as  in  Duty  bound  will  ever  pray. 

"  Dated  at  Boscawen  Aug  24,  1765. 

"  Gf.orgp:  Jackman 
Thomas  Cartp:r 

Cora  for  said  Proprietors." 
The  petition  was  not  acted  upon  till  1767,  when  the  petitioners 
were  notified  through  the  Boston  Gazette  and  New  Hampshire 
Gazette,  printed  at  Portsmouth,  to  present  their  case. 

TOWX-MEETING. 

Feb.  3,  1767.  Dea.  George  Jackman,  George  Jackman,  Jr., 
and  Jesse  Flanders  were  chosen  "  to  supply  the  desk  till  next 
March  meeting." 

It  was  also  voted  "  to  hegin  a  town  school  the  present  month." 

Eev.  Mr.  Nathaniel  Merrill  was  employed  as  a  i^reacher. 

March  3.     Voted  "  to  hire  a  school  two  months  longer  in  the 
present  year." 
7 


98  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1767. 

It  was  also  voted  that  £200  old  tenor  be  raised  for  town  ex- 
penses;  that  the  selectmen  "hire  some  regular  preaching"  as 
long  as  they  shall  think  proper. 

Voted  "  to  clear  Mr.  Pelatiah  Watson  for  taxes  if  he  leave  the 
Town  by  the  last  of  June  next." 

Voted,  "  that  the  selectmen  he  paid  after  sert^ing  the  town  one 
year  for  nothing?^ 

NEW    MEETIJfG-HOUSE. 

Sept.  8.  The  log  meeting-house  on  King  street  had  been  in 
use  from  the  first  settlement,  in  1733 — thirty-four  years — and  the 
time  had  arrived  for  a  better  edifice.  The  population  was  rap- 
idly increasing,  and  was  extending  westward  and  northward  from 
King  street.  It  was  therefore  voted  at  this  meeting  that  a  new 
meeting-house  should  be  erected,  and  a  committee  was  appointed 
to  select  a  site. 

It  was  voted  that,  pending  the  erection  of  the  meeting-house, 
the  meetings  should  be  held  half  the  time  at  the  house  of  Jesse 
Flanders  (house  now  occupied  by  F.  P.  Atkinson). 

The  committee  appointed  to  select  a  site,  reported  as  follows : 

"  Boscawen  Sept  8,  1767 

"  We  do  hereby  deliver  it  as  our  honest  and  impartial  judgment  that 
it  be  erected  on  that  sapling  pine  land  about  10  or  12  rods  from  the  road 
towards  Jesse  Flanders,  from  that  knowl  above  Ephraim  Woodbury's, 
which  was  the  last  voted  place,  and  that  this  meeting  bouse  be  placed 
for  those  only  that  live  on  the  Easterly  side  of  Battle  street  so  called, 
and  that  those  who  live  on  the  Westerly  side  of  said  street  be  exempted 
from  any  cost  in  building  said  house. 

"  As  witness  our  hands, 

"  Ezekiel  Morrill      ^ 

Sinkler  Bean  J- Com  " 

Archelaus  Moore  ) 

From  this  it  may  be  inferred  that  settlers  had  pushed  west- 
ward to  the  Blackwater.  Probably  Mr.  David  Corser  was  living 
on  Corser  hill,  and  Mr.  Day  and  Mr.  Cass  west  of  Blackwater 
river. 

Dec.  1.  At  a  town-meeting,  it  was  voted  "  to  give  Mr.  Nathan- 
iel Merrill  forty-two  pounds  lawful  money  which  shall  be  his 
stated  salary  to  be  paid  to  him  yearly,  during  the  time  he  sus- 
tains the  character  of  a  minister  in  said  Town." 


1767.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  99 

Subsequently  it  was  voted,  that  if  this  was  not  a  sufficient  sal- 
ary to  support  him,  they  "  would  add  thereto  as  much  as  should 
be  sufficient." 

Dec.  7.  At  an  adjourned  meeting,  voted  that  the  above  vote 
advancing  Mr.  Merrill's  salary  shall  be  "  null  &  void." 

It  was  then  voted  "  to  give  Mr  Merrill  80  acres  of  good  land  in 
the  Town  of  Boscawen  lying  as  near  the  middle  of  said  inhabi- 
tants &  as  convenient  as  may  be  had  for  a  reasonable  price  to  be 
his  own  forever  upon  his  settling  in  said  town  in  the  work  of  the 
Gospel  ministry." 

POPULATIOX — 1767. 

A  census  of  the  province  was  taken  during  the  year, — the  first, 
so  far  as  is  known.     The  population  of  Boscawen  is  thus  given : 

Unmarried  men  between  16  and  60,  17 

Married  men,  45 

Boys  under  16,  77 

Men  60  and  above,  8 

Females  unmarried,  83 

"         married,  52 

Widows,  3 

Male  slaves,  0 

Female  slaves,  0 

Total,  285 


Other  towns  in  the  vicinity- 

-population : 

Concord, 

752 

Salisbury, 

210 

Canterbury, 

603 

Dunbar  ton. 

271 

New  Boston, 

296 

Hillsborough, 

64 

Canaan, 

19 

Plymouth, 

227 

Newport, 

29 

Haverhill, 

172 

From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  the  advance  of  population  was 
directly  up  the  Connecticut  and  Merrimack  valleys.  The  popu- 
lation of  the  province  was  about  52,000. 


100  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [17GS. 

SETTLEMEJ^T    OF     MR.    MERRILL. 

Jan.  9.  At  a  town-meeting,  held  at  "  the  house  of  Capt  John 
Fowler  Innholder,"  it  was  voted  "  to  give  Mr  Nathaniel  Merrill 
20  cords  of  good  wood,  cut  »&  corded  at  liis  house  or  place  of 
abode,  yearly,  together  with  all  the  income  &  improvement  of  the 
parsonage,  so  long  as  he  shall  sustain  the  office  of  a  gospel  minis- 
ter in  said  town." 

Voted,  that  the  people  above  the  pond  (Great  pond)  should  not 
be  free  from  charge  in  the  construction  of  the  meeting-house. 

March  1.  The  town-meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  Jesse 
Flanders,  but  adjourned  "for  Sundry  Reasons." 

March  31.  Voted,  "  that  the  15th  day  of  June  next  be  the 
time  for  the  ordination  of  Mr  Nath^  Merrill." 

George  Jackman,  Jr.,  Peter  Kimball,  Lieut.  Moses  Burbank, 
Thomas  Foss,  and  Jesse  Flanders  were  chosen  "to  agree  with 
some  suitable  person  in  the  town  to  provide  in  a  decent  manner 
for  the  ministers,  delegates,  &  scliolars  that  should  attend  Mr  Mer- 
rill's ordination." 

Seven  pounds  lawful  mone}'  was  raised  to  defray  the  eiq^enses 
of  the  ordination; — also,  seven  pounds  and  ten  shillings  lawful 
money  for  the  use  of  the  town  for  the  year. 

Oct.  5.  Voted  to  raise  "one  hundred  dollars"  towards  the 
building  of  a  meeting-house.  This  is  the  first  instance  in  the 
records  of  the  use  of  the  term  dollar,  in  distinction  from  the  word 
2yoimd. 

One  sixth  part  Avas  to  be  paid  in  money,  and  the  balance  in 
labor  at  two  shillings  per  day. 

Thomas  Foss,  Benjamin  Eastman,  Peter  Kimball,  Joseph  At- 
kinson, and  George  Jackman  were  appointed  a  committee  to  over- 
see the  construction  of  the  house. 

TAXES. 

The  first  list  of  ratable  polls  on  record  is  for  the  year  1768,  the 
number  being  sixty-three.  Taxes  were  levied  for  the  province, 
town,  meeting-house,  ordination,  minister,  wood  for  the  minister, 
and  a  labor  tax  on  the  meeting-house.  The  labor  tax  was  five- 
fold the  money  tax. 


^ 


Pv 


'(o  r?^''^- 


7G9.] 


CIVIL    HISTORY.  101 


THE    NEW    MEETING-HOUSE. 


The  site  finally  selected  for  the  new  meeting-house  was  near  the 
north-west  corner  of  the  cemetery,  west  of  Woodbury's  plain.  The 
frame  was  erected  in  July,  and  a  town-nieeting  held  around  it 
July  25,  to  see  what  measures  the  town  would  take  towards  fin- 
ishing the  house.  It  was  perhaps  the  only  open  air  meeting  ever 
held  in  town. 

Voted  "  to  Raise  two  hundred  &  fifty  pounds  old  tenor  Toward  De- 
fraying the  charges  already  arisen  in  building  the  meeting  house  frame 
to  be  paid  in  Labour  at  fifty  Shillings  a  Day  and  whoever  Don't  La- 
bour when  Notified  or  pay  Stuff"  fit  for  the  use  of  the  house  to  pay 
money." 

Voted  "to  begin,  &  Go  on  with  the  finishing  said  meeting  house  as 
far  as  the  pew  privileges  will  go  together  with  the  money  as  above 
voted. 

*'  George  Jackman,  Jun,  Mr  Joseph  Atkinson,  Ens  Peter  Kimball, 
Mr  Benjamin  Eastman,  &  Deacon  Jesse  Flanders  ware  chosen  and  fully 
Impowered  as  a  committee  to  carry  on  the  finishing  said  Meeting 
house." 

The  old  tenor  currency  had  so  far  depreciated  that  fifty  shil- 
lings was  only  equivalent  to  about  forty-two  cents  lawful  money, 
a  shilling  being  less  than  one  cent. 

Aug.  1.  The  committee  appointed  to  appraise  the  pew  privi- 
leges reported  the  appraisal  and  articles  of  sale  as  follows : 

"  1^'  The  pews  to  be  sold  to  the  highest  bidder. 

"  2 — The  money  bid  is  to  be  understood  Hampshire's  old  tenor. 

"S*!  That  no  person  bid  less  than  20  shillings  a  bid.  [About  sixteeu 
cents.] 

"  4  That  every  purchaser  shall  pay  one  fourth  part  thereof  in  money 
&  the  remainder  in  labor  or  lumber  as  said  committee  &  purchaser  shall 
agree, — provided  the  same  be  at  Cash  price  &  when  wanted  for  the  use 
of  said  house. 

"  5tii  That  Each  pew  be  forfeited  unless  the  purchaser  pay  the  sum 
for  which  the  same  was  bid  oft'  at  in  the  following  manner,  viz: 

"  The  money  to  be  paid  in  three  months  from  the  time  said  pew 
was  bid  off  and  the  other  to  be  paid  when  called  for  by  the  committee 
for  the  use  of  said  house. 

"  6.  That  every  person  shall  forfeit  his  pew  privelege  except  that  the 
purchaser  have  the  same  well  finished  within  twelve  months  from  the 
time  said  pew  was  bid  off. 


102  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1769. 

**7.  That  any  purchaser  shall  pay  down  or  give  security  for  one 
tenth  part  of  the  value  of  what  said  pew  was  bid  off  at — which  sum 
shall  be  forfeited  unless  the  articles  are  fulfilled. 

"  8  That  any  person  who  will  pay  Nails  &  Glass  at  Cash  price,  or 
provide  a  joiner  acceptable  to  the  committee  when  wanted  the  same 
shall  answer  in  lieu  of  money." 

Voted  by  the  town,  that  "  no  wall  pew  be  raised  more  than  12 
inches  above  the  meeting  house  floor,  &  that  no  body  pew  be  raised 
more  than  six  inches." 

There  is  no  writing  tliat  sets  forth  the  dimensions  of  this  first 
framed  meeting-house.  It  was  nearly  square,  and  had  a  gal- 
lery, which  was  not  finished  till  several  years  later,  even  if  it 
was  ever  wholly  finished.  There  was  a  pile  of  boards  in  one 
corner  of  the  gallery,  behind  which  the  boys  used  to  secrete  them- 
selves, greatly  to  the  annoyance  of  the  tithing-man.  The  present 
town-house  in  Webster  was  modelled  after  this  house.  There 
was  a  porch  at  each  end,  and  a  front  door.  It  was  built  after  the 
prevailing  style  of  the  time, — a  box-like  edifice. 


1770.] 


OHAPTEE    VI. 

PREPARING  FOR  THE  GREAT  STRUGGLE. 

pOR  some  reason  not  stated  in  the  records,  the  annual  town, 
meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  Rev.  Mr.  Merrill,  near 
"Merrill  corner,"  a  half  mile  west  of  the  new  meeting-house.  At 
this  meeting,  Capt.  Peter  Coffin  was  chosen  constable.  "  At  the 
same  time,"  reads  the  record,  "  Captain  Coffin  hired  Mr.  Benjamin 
Eastman  to  serve  in  his  stead  &  the  town  did  by  a  major  vote  ac- 
cept said  Eastman  to  take  the  oath  &  serve  as  constable." 

From  this  and  similar  votes,  it  would  seem  that  the  office  of 
constable  was  one  which  a  citizen  could  not  decline.  There  was 
a  prevailing  sentiment  that  every  citizen,  if  called  upon,  should 
bear  his  part  of  the  burdens  of  office. 

PROVINCE    ROAD. 

The  proprietors  held  a  meeting,  and  voted  "  to  clear  a  road 
leading  to  No.  4,  &  that  the  northern,  or  upper  road  so  called 
shall  be  cleared  for  the  public  road  leading  to  No  4." 

This  road  was  Long  street,  as  laid  out  in  the  first  survey  by 
John  Brown. 

"  No.  4 "  was  Charlestown,  on  the  Connecticut.  During  the 
French  war,  all  troops  marching  to  Lake  Champlain  had  passed 
through  Massachusetts  to  Alban}^ ;  but  this  great  highway  was 
opened  under  the  direction  of  the  province,  and  was  known  as  the 
Province  road. 

Li  the  precept  issued  to  Constable  Benjamin  Eastman  for  the 
collection  of  taxes,  he  was  instructed  to  levy  upon  the  inhabitants 
"  twenty  cords  of  good  cord  wood  corded  &  put  up  at  Rev  Mr 
Nathaniel  Merrill's  door." 


104  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1772. 

The  highway  leading  south,  from  the  new  meeting-house  to 
Queen  street,  was  laid  out  during  the  year,  to  enable  the  inhabi- 
tants in  that  section  to  reach  the  meeting-house. 

March  5.  The  town  raised  fifty  dollars,  to  be  worked  out  on 
the  school  land,  and  one  hundred  dollars  to  be  worked  out  on  the 
highway. 

April  19.  An  adjourned  meeting  was  held.  It  was  put  to 
vote  "  to  see  whether  the  town  would  buy  a  piece  of  land  for  Mr 
Merrill  at  two  dollars  and  a  half  per  acre  &  decided  in  the  nega- 
tive." 

From  this  and  other  records,  it  may  be  judged  that  the  average 
value  of  unimproved  land  at  this  period  did  not  exceed  this  price.j 
Probably  one  dollar  per  acre  woidd  have  been  an  average  price. 

June  11.  Voted  to  accept  the  highway  laid  out  by  the  select- 
men "from  the  intervale  road  to  the  town  house  In-ook  so  called, 
to  Marlborough  street." 

It  was  put  to  vote  to  see  whether  the  town  would  build  a  school- 
house,  "  &  set  it  near  Muzzey's  N.  E.  corner  &  voted  in  the  neg- 
ative." 

This  was  the  first  movement  toward  the  erection  of  a  school- 
house.  The  schools  were  kept  in  private  houses.  Muzzey's  cor- 
ner was  at  the  junction  of  Water  and  Long  streets. 

It  was  put  to  vote  to  see  if  the  town  would  purchase  land  of 
Mr.  John  Elliot,  for  Mr.  Merrill,  at  one  dollar  per  acre,  and  was 
decided  in  the  affirmative. 

This  vote  Avas  subsequently  reconsidered. 

June  25.  At  this  meeting,  it  was  voted  to  purchase  of  Capt. 
Henry  Gerrish  the  eighty-acre  lot  laid  out  to  the  right  of  Moses 
Smith,  for  Mr.  Merrill.  The  price  was  "  eighty  Spanish  milled 
dollars."  The  lot  was  on  Beaver-dam  brook,  including  a  large 
portion  of  meadow. 

Voted  to  sell  the  old  log  meeting-house  at  vendue. 

March  3,  1772.  Prior  to  this  date,  there  had  been  no  bridge 
across  the  Blackwater.  Several  settlers  had  located  west  of  that 
stream,  and  John  Elanders,  Capt.  Peter  Coffin,  and  Joseph  Atkin- 
son were  chosen  to  select  a  suitable  place  for  crossing  said  stream, 
and  "  to  treat  with  the  men  who  own  the  land." 

The  town  voted  not  to  deduct  anj'thing  from  Rev.  Mr.  Merrill's 
salary  for  those  Sundays  when  he  was  absent ; — ^voted,  also,  "  that 


1772.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  105 

Mr.  Moses  Burbank  be  abated  so  much  ministerial  tax  as  be  has 
paid  to  the  Cburcb  of  Engbxnd  since  the  settlement  of  Rev  Mr 
Nathaniel  Merrill." 

Voted  to  raise  one  hundred  dollars,  to  be  Avorked  out  on  the 
highways  ''  at  tlie  following  rates  :  men  at  two  shillings,  oxen  at 
2  shillings,  cart  &  wheels  at  6  pence,  plow  2  shillings  per  day." 

FIRST    SALE    OF    PAUPERS. 

Voted,  that  "  Ephraim  Davis  and  wife  be  clothed  at  the  charge 
of  the  town,  and  they  shall  be  put  to  them  that  will  take  them  the 
cheapest." 

This  is  the  first  record  of  the  sale  of  the  services  of  the  indi- 
gent ijersons  in  town,  which  soon  became  the  universal  custom  of 
all  towns. 

The  committee  on  the  meeting-house  matters  thus  reported : 

"  This  day  the  committee  that  was  chosen  to  build  a  meeting  house 
settled  with  the  committee  that  was  chosen  to  overhaul  their  accounts 
&  see  how  they  have  disposed  of  the  money  &  find  due  to  the  town  in 
New  Hampshire  old  tenor  £405—12^ —  O''." 

May  5.  Voted  to  build  a  bridge  over  the  Blackwater,  at  the 
place  reported  by  the  committee. 

The  site  selected  was  that  now  used  near  the  town-house  in 
Webster. 

THE    BOSTON    PORT    BILL. 

The  contest  between  Parliament  and  the  colonies  on  the  ques- 
tion of  taxation  was  becoming  intensified.  In  revenge  for  the 
destruction  of  tea  in  Boston,  the  ministry  had  carried  a  bill 
through  Parliament  closing  that  jiort  to  all  commerce.  The  act 
went  into  effect  at  noon,  June  1.  Prom  that  moment,  all  in- 
tercourse between  Boston  and  the  world  must  be  across  the  nar- 
row neck  of  land  leading  to  Eoxbury.  No  ship  could  come  or  go ; 
no  fisherman  pass  Castle  William  in  a  dory ;  no  scow  land  hay  or 
wood  at  a  wharf ;  no  market-gardener  take  his  vegetables  across 
Charles  river  into  the  doomed  town.  The  act  aroused  sympathy 
everywhere.  In  retaliation,  the  jieople  resolved  to,  quit  using 
goods  of  English  manufacture.  The  citizens  of  Boscawen,  in 
common  with  those  of  other  towns,  issued  their  manifesto  declar- 


106  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1772. 

ing  their  determination  not  to  purchase  such  goods.  The  origi- 
nal document  is  in  the  possession  of  James  L.  Gerrish,  Esq.,  of 
Webster.  It  might  be  truthfully  called  the  Preliminary  Decla- 
ration of  Independence. 

THE    DECLARATIOJf    OF    THE    PEOPLE, 

''  We  the  subscribers  Inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Boscawen  having 
taken  into  serious  Consideration  the  precarious  State  of  the  Liberties 
of  North  America  and  more  especially  the  present  distressed  condition 
of  our  Sister  Colony  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay,  Embarrassed  as  it  is  by 
several  Acts  of  the  British  Parliament  tending  to  the  entire  Subversion 
of  their  natural  &  Charter  Rights;  among  which  is  the  Act  for  blocking 
up  the  Harbour  of  Boston  : 

"  And  being  fully  sensible  of  our  indispensible  Duty  to  lay  hold  on 
every  Means  in  our  Power  to  preserve  &  recover  the  much  injured  Con- 
stitution of  our  Country;  &  conscious  at  the  same  Time  of  no  Alterna- 
tive between  the  Horrors  of  Slavery,  or  the  Carnage  &  Desolation  of  a 
Civil  War,  but  a  Suspension  of  all  Commercial  Intercourse  with  the  Is- 
land of  Great  Britain,  do,  in  the  Presence  of  god,  solemly  &  in  good 
Faith,  covenant  &  engage  with  each  other. 

"  1  That  from  henceforth  we  will  suspend  all  Commercial  Intercourse 
•with  the  said  Island  of  Great  Britain  until  the  Parliament  shall  cease  to 
enact  Laws,  imposing  Taxes  upon  the  Colonies,  without  their  consent, 
or  until  the  pretended  Right  of  Taxing  is  dropped. 

"  2  That  there  may  be  less  Temptation  to  others  to  continue  in  the 
said  now  dangerous  Commerce;  &  in  order  to  promote  Industry  Econ- 
omy, Arts  &  Manufactures  among  ourselves,  which  are  of  the  last  Im- 
portance to  the  Welfare  &  Well  Being  of  a  Community;  we  do  in  like 
Manner,  solmly  covenant  that  we  will  not  buy,  purchase  or  consume, 
or  suffer  any  Person,  by,  for,  or  under  us,  to  purchase,  nor  will  we  use 
in  our  Families  in  any  Manner  whatever,  any  Goods,  Wares,  or  Mer- 
chandise which  shall  arrive  in  America  from  Great  Britain  aforesaid, 
from  &  after  the  last  Day  of  August  next  ensuing,  (except  only  such 
Articles  as  shall  be  judged  absolutely  necessary  by  the  Majority  of  the 
signers  hereof)  and  as  much  as  in  us  lies,  to  prevent  our  being  inter- 
cepted or  defeated  in  this  only  peaceable  Measure  entered  into  for  the 
recovery  &  Preservation  of  Our  Rights  or  the  Rights  of  our  Brethren 
in  our  Sister  Colony;  We  agree  to  break  off  all  Trade  &  Commerce 
with  all  Persons,  who  preserving  their  private  Interest  to  the  Salvation 
of  their  now  almost  perishing  Country,  who  shall  continue  to  import 
Goods  from  Great  Britain,  or  shall  purchase  of  those  who  import  after 


1772.] 


CIVIL   HISTORY. 


107 


the  said  last  Day  of  August,  until  the  aforesaid  pretended  Right  of 
Taxing  the  Colonies  shall  be  given  up  or  dropped. 

"  3  As  a  refusal  to  come  into  any  Agreement  which  promises  Deliver- 
ance of  our  Country  from  the  Calamities  it  now  feels,  &  which  like  a 
Torrent,  are  rushing  upon  it  with  increasing  Violence,  must,  in  onr 
Opinion,  evidence  a  Disposition  enimical  to,  or  criminally  negligent  of 
the  common  Safety; — It  is  agreed,  that  all  such  ought  to  be  considered, 
&  shall  be  by  us  esteemed,  as  Encouragements  of  Contumacious  Im- 
porters. 

"  Lastly,  We  hereby  further  engage,  that  we  will  use  every  Method 
in  our  power,  to  encourage  &  promote  the  Production  of  Manufactures 
among  ourselves,  that  this  Covenant  &  Engagement  may  be  as  little 
detrimental  to  ourselves  &  Fellow  Countrymen  as  possible. 


Nathaniel  Gookin 
John  Elliot 
Samuel  Corser 
Thomas  Eliot 
Joseph  Jackman 
Moses  Call 
Ebenezer  Wise 
Jedediah  Danford 
John  Corser 
John  Bowley 
Henry  Gerrish 
George  Jackman 
Moses  Burbank 
Sam'  Fowler 
Benj^  Eastman 
Peter  Kimball 
Isaac  Pearson 
Joseph  Atkinson 
John  Flanders 
Sam'  Atkinson 
John  Hale 
Isaac  Noyes 
Benjamin  Jackman 
Peter  Coffin 
Moses  Burbank  jr 
Samuel  Jackman 
Nathaniel  Atkinson 
Richard  Ilsley 
Samuel  Muzzy 
Ezekiel  Flanders 


Aaron  Flanders 

William  Danford 

John  Flanders jr 

John  Elliott 

Jacob  Flanders 

Nathan  Corser 

Jesse  Flanders 

Benj  Sweatt 

Cutting  Noyes 

Daniel  Richards 

Joseph  Dunlop 

Oliver  Fowler 

Isaac  Fitts 

Timothy  Eastman 

John  Couch 

Thomas  Corser 

John  Corser 

Jonathan  Corser 

William  Mirick 

John  Jackman 

Samuel  Jackman 

James  Garis  [Gerald?] 

Edmund  Chadwick 

Benja  Day 

Israel  Shepherd 

Hezekiah  Colby 

Daniel  Peterson 

Benjamin  Eastman 

Daniel  Shepherd 

John  Stevens  60  " 


108 


CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1773. 


THE    FIRST     PHTSICIAX. 


During  the  year  Dr.  Daniel  Peterson  took  up  liis  residence  in 
Boscawen — the  first  resident  ph3^sician  in  the  town.  He  built 
the  house  now  standing — the  first  building  north  of  the  academy, 
on  the  Plain.     (See  Biography.) 

1773.  In  the  selectmen's  account  with  Constable  Winthrop 
Carter  for  this  jeav  is  tlie  following : 

"  To  an  order  on  Capt  Henry  Gerrish  for  Sarvice  on 

the  Country  affairs  £i_16-'—  Sp  " 

Another  item  : 

"  An  order  to  Ens  Kimball  as  committee  on  the  Country 

affairs  3—  1—11  " 

This  was  Capt.  Peter  Kimball,  who,  with  Capt.  Gerrish,  was 
chosen  to  meet  other  towns  in  convention,  to  take  into  considera- 
tion the  formation  of  a  new  county.  A  convention  of  towns  in 
Hillsborough  county  was  hold  during  the  3'ear,  but  no  action 
taken. 

In  the  selectmen's  account  are  other  items  which,  in  the  absence 
of  other  records,  show  the  progress  made  by  the  town : 

"  Gave  John  Hale  an  order  for  making  the  buring  cloth  1 —  2  " 

This  is  the  first  mention  of  a  funeral  pall. 

"  Gave  an  order  to  Joseph  Couch  for  boarding  a  School  Master 

in  the  year  1772  .5^ —  0  " 

As  Joseph  Couch  had  taken  up  his  residence  on  the  farm  now  oc- 
cupied by  Miss  Nancy  Couch,  it  is  clear  that  the  school  was  held 
in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Webster.  Without  doubt,  it  was  the 
first  school  kept  west  of  Beaver-dam  brook.  The  number  of  fam- 
ilies west  of  tluit  boundary  probably  did  not  exceed  ten.  The 
school  was  held  either  in  Mr.  Couch's  house,  or  in  tlie  house  of 
John  Corser,  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Tilton,  or  in  the  house  of  Sam- 
uel Corser,  now  occupied  by  Mrs.  Simeon  B.  Little.  It  is  not  cer- 
tain, however,  tliat  the  last  named  was  erected  as  early  as  1772. 

TOWX  coRisr. 

In  the  selectmen's  account  is  an  item  in  relation  to  the  "  town 
corn." 


1773.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  109 

"  Paid  to  Winthrop  Carter  for  shelling  22  bushels  and  a 
peck  of  the  town  corn  and  sorting  and  carrying  up 
garrit  4«—  li'— 1*" 

How  the  town  happened  to  be  carrying  on  agriculture  in  its 
corporate  capacity,  is  wholly  a  matter  of  conjecture.  The  town 
had  no  farm.  Kot  till  1820  did  it  set  up  an  almshouse.  There  is 
nothing  in  the  records  relative  to  the  matter.  The  supposition  is, 
that  some  person  indebted  to  the  town  made  payment  in  corn. 

THE    FIRST     SCHOOL-HOUSE. 

"  Voted  that  the  selectmen  have  liberty  to  move  the  middle  school 
from  the  place  stated  &  that  they  place  it  in  such  place  as  they  shall 
find  best  to  accommodate  the  Inhabitants  in  said  district  according  to 
Interest." 

iSTo  school-house  had  been  erected,  but  a  site  had  been  se- 
lected by  the  town  for  a  building.  It  was  to  be  the  "middle 
school."  There  were  two  other  districts, — the  one  on  King  street, 
and  one  west  of  Beaver-dam.  The  people  on  Water  street  were 
the  first  to  petition  for  a  house.  For  several  years  their  requests 
had  l)een  in  the  warrant  for  town-meeting.  They  felt  that  the 
time  had  come  when  the  schools  should  be  taught  elsewhere  than 
in  a  private  house,  and  had  si;cceeded  in  getting  a  vote  for  the 
erection  of  a  school  building.  The  site  selected  was  at  the  junc- 
tion of  Long  and  Water  streets.  The  building  subsequently 
erected  was  the  first  school-house  built.  For  sevei-al  years  after 
this,  the  schools  in  other  districts  were  taught  in  private  houses. 

REMOVAL    OF    REV.  MR.  MERRILL. 

Eev.  Mr.  Merrill,  who  was  settled  in  1768,  was  removocl  about 
the  first  of  April.  "Respecting  his  removal,"  says  Eev.  Mr. 
Price,  "  no  correct  information  can  be  had  from  the  written  rec- 
ord, as  the  records  of  the  town  furnish  none,  and  the  church  rec- 
ord was  then  misplaced,  or  lost,  and  has  never  to  this  day  been 
found." 

Mr.  Price  further  states  that  Mr.  Merrill  had  joined  the  Graf- 
ton Presbytery,  and  that,  through  his  influence,  the  church  had 
in  part  changed  from  the  Congregational  to  the  Presbyterian 
polity.  This  new  connection  was  the  cause  of  his  being  fre- 
quently absent  to  supply  vacant  pulpits,  which  produced  discon- 


110  CIVIL   HISTORY,  [1774. 

tent  in  the  church  and  congregation.  "The  discontent  was 
increased  by  some  supposed,  if  not  real,  aberrations  observed  in 
his  conduct,  and  proved  a  fatal  bar  to  his  usefulness."  This  Mr. 
M.  discovered,  and  applied  to  the  Presbytery  for  removal.  No 
action  was  taken  by  the  church  or  the  town. 

Nov.  1.  At  a  meeting  of  the  town,  Joseph  Atkinson,  George 
Jackman,  and  Samuel  Muzzey  were  appointed  to  provide  "  some 
suitable  person  of  the  Congregational  order  to  preach  the  gospel 
as  soon  as  may  be." 

This  brings  us  to  the  close  of  the  year  1774,  a  period  of  forty 
years  since  the  first  settlers  reared  their  cabins  on  King  street. 
During  this  time  they  had  fought  the  Indians,  maintained  their 
ground  while  other  towns  were  deserted,  and  had  moved  steadily 
on  in  the  path  of  civilization,  felling  the  forests,  cultivating  the 
soil,  maintaining  from  the  beginning  a  minister,  establishing 
schools,  and  passing  from  poverty  to  comparative  comfort  in 
worldly  goods.  On  all  questions  touching  their  rights  and  liber- 
ties they  were  intensely  patriotic,  and  never  for  one  instant  stop- 
ped to  inquire  what  would  best  promote  their  material  interests, 
but,  in  regard  to  the  Stamp  act,  the  duties  on  tea,  the  Boston 
Port  bill,  and  kindred  matters,  stood  unflinchingly  for  the  rights 
of  man.  It  was  an  intelligent,  thrifty,  religious,  law  and  order 
abiding  community,  standing  in  the  foremost  rank  of  agricultural 
towns,  ready  to  share  in  every  trial  and  hardship  necessary  to 
maintain  their  liberties. 


W^^         'fi 


/ 


^/y  7  /  /i^y  rf/'y-^yj:^ 


1774.] 


CHAPTEE    YII. 

BEGINNING  OF  THE  REVOLUTION. 

^rtT  HE  citizens  of  Boscawen  manifested  their  patriotism  at  the 
^^  beginning  of  the  year  in  electing  Henry  Gerrish  as  delegate 
to  the  provincial  congress,  which  was  held  at  Exeter,  January  25. 
He  was  clothed  with  full  powers. 

The  attack  of  the  British  at  Lexington  was  on  April  19.  The 
news  reached  Boscawen  on  the  20th ;  and  on  the  21st,  sixteen  men 
Avere  on  the  march  under  Capt.  Henry  Gerrish.     They  were, — 

Henry  Gerrish,  Capt.,  Samuel  Jackmau, 

Silas  Call,  I^ieut.,  David  Flanders, 

Wiuthrop  Carter,  Sergt.,  Charles  Greenfield, 

Samuel  Fowler,  Esq.,  Peter  Roswell  Stevens, 

Edmund  Chadwick,  Israel  Shepard, 

John  Flanders,  Isaac  Davis, 

John  Stevens,  Edward  Gerald, 

Nathaniel  Burbank,  Nathaniel  Atkinson.         16 

We  may  think  of  them  as  assembling  at  Fowler's  tavern,  at 
the  lower  end  of  King  street,  with  their  guns  and  powder-horns, 
and  possibly,  here  and  there,  a  citizen  carried  a  knapsack.  They 
fill  their  canteens  with  rum  at  Mr,  Fowler's  bar,  and  take  a  part- 
ing drink  with  their  neighbors.  We  see  them  crossing  "  Town- 
house brook,"  and  hear  the  tramp  of  their  marching  as  they  pass 
over  Contoocook  bridge. 

The  news  must  have  reached  town  on  the  morning  of  the  twen- 
tieth. Capt.  Peter  Coffin  saddled  his  horse,  and  started  for 
Exeter,  where  we  find  him  on  the  twenty-first,  in  consultation 
with  sixty-eight  other  delegates — "  to  consult  what  measures  shall 
be  thought  most  expedient  to  take  in  this  alarming  crisis." 


112  CIVIL    HISTORY,  [1774. 


THE    INHABITAIS'TS. 


The  number  of  inhabitants  in  the  state  at  this  time,  and  at 
other  periods,  may  be  estimated  from  the  returns  made  at  a  later 
date  (1792)  by  Joseph  Pearson,  secretary  of  state,  who  searched 
the  provincial  records  for  that  purpose.    The  ratable  polls  were, — 

1742—5,172  1767—11,964 

1753—6,392  1773—13,853 

Beckoning  five  persons  to  a  family,  the  inhabitants  at  the  differ- 
ent periods  would  be, — 

1742—25,960  1767—59,820 

1753—31,960 
The  population  of  the  state  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  Eevolu- 
tion,  may  be  estimated,  therefore,  at  about  75,000. 


TOWX-MEETIXG. 


At  a  meeting  of  the  town,  the  following  votes  were  passed  : 
''Voted  to  buy  one  barrel  of  Gunpowder,  one  hundred  weight  of  lead 

and  one  hundred  flints. 

"  Voted  that  Capt  Stephen  Gerrish  buy  the  stores  at  as  reasonable 

price  as  may  be,  for  the  use  of  the  town. 

''Voted  to  adhere  strictly  to  advice  of  the  Continental  Congress." 
A  committee  was  appointed  "  to  see  if  the  aforesaid  laws  [of 

congress]  be  obeyed." 

COMMITTEE    OF    SAFETY. 

The  committee  of  safety  consisted  of  Benjamin  Jaekman, 
Joseph  Atkinson,  Ebenezer  Hidden,  John  Elliot,  Capt.  Henry 
Gerrish,  Lieut.  Moses  Call,  George  Jaekman,  and  Ensign  Peter 

Kimball. 

March  14.  A  committee  was  appointed  to  procure  a  preacher, 
and  was  instructed  to  apply  to  Mr.  Levi  Frisby. 

Twenty-five  pounds  was  voted  for  school  purposes ;  and  it  was 
also  voted  to  employ  Mr.  IVIorrill  (Mr.  Eobie  Morrill)  as  teacher. 

Twenty  pounds  was  voted  for  preaching. 


1776.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  113 

TOWX-MEETINGS. 

May  10.  The  committee  on  preaching  had  not  been  able  to 
hire  Mr.  Frisb}',  and  Mr.  Samuel  Ela  was  engaged. 

Voted,  that  "  that  j^art  of  the  town  lying  above  the  pond  [Great 
pond]  so  called  have  their  part  of  preaching  among  them  in  pro- 
portion to  the  tax  they  pay." 

Capt.  Henry  Gerrish  Avas  again  elected  to  attend  the  provincial 
congress  at  Exeter,  to  serve  for  six  months. 

Sept.  21.  "  It  was  put  to  vote  whether  Mr.  Samuel  Ela  has 
behaved  as  a  Christian  &  Gospel  preacher  to  their  satisfaction  & 
it  was  unanimously  voted  in  the  affirmative." 

Notwithstanding  this  endorsement,  it  was  thought  best  to  in- 
quire more  particularly  into  Mr.  Ela's  history ;  and  at  a  subse- 
quent meeting,  held  September  25,  Peter  Kimball  was  appointed 
agent  "  to  go  to  the  place  of  Mr.  Ela's  former  residence,  &  make 
enquiry  into  the  character  of  Mr.  Samuel  Ela  &  make  report  to 
the  town." 

A  committee  was  appointed  "  to  enquire  of  sundry  persons  who  at 
present  do  not  join  with  said  town  in  their  publick  affairs  &  know 
the  cause  of  their  not  attending  &  lay  the  same  before  the  town 
in  order  that  the  same  may  be  removed." 

This  had  reference  to  a  few  individuals  who  had  not  joined  in 
the  patriotic  movement. 

March  5,  1776.  Eobie  Morrill,  Peter  Coffin,  and  Moses  Bur- 
bank  were  appointed  "  a  committee  of  inspection  agreeable  to  the 
recommendation  of  the  Continental  Congress." 

That  the  town  was  prompt  in  settling  with  those  who  had  vol- 
unteered to  go  to  Cambridge,  will  be  seen  from  the  following 
vote : 

"  That  those  men  that  went  on  the  alarm  in  April  last  &  all  others 
who  have  demands  against  the  town  bring  in  their  accounts  as  soon  as 
may  be." 

SCHOOL-DISTRICTS. 

Prior  to  this  date  there  had  been  no  regularly  defined  school- 
districts  in  town.  The  money  that  had  been  raised  annually  was 
in  addition  to  that  arising  from  the  school  fund  ;  but  now,  in  the 
midst  of  war,  the  citizens  took  a  forward  step  in  education,  and 


114  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1776. 

voted  to  divide  tlie  town  into  school-districts,  eacli  district  having 
its  school  in  proportion  to  its  valuation. 

THE    ASSOCIATION    TEST. 

The  continental  congress  sent  out  the  following  resolutions  : 

"  111  Congress  March  16,  1776 

^'Resolved:  That  it  be  recommended  to  the  Several  Assemblies,  Con- 
ventions, and  Councils  or  Committees  of  Safety  of  the  United  Col- 
onies, immediately  to  cause  all  Persons  to  be  disarmed  within  their 
Respective  Colonies,  who  are  notoriously  disaffected  to  the  cause  of 
America,  or  who  have  not  associated  and  refuse  to  associate,  to  defend 
by  Aryns  the  United  Colonies,  against  the  Hostile  attempts  of  the  Brit- 
ish Fleets  &  Armies. 

"  Charles  Thomson  secy." 

This  was  submitted  to  the  committee  of  safety  for  New  Hamp- 
shire : 

"  Colony  of  New  Hampshire 
"  In  Committee  of  Safety  '  April  12'^  1776 

"In  order  to  carry  the  Resolve  of  the  Hon.'ble  Continental  Congress 
into  execution,  you  are  requested  to  desire  all  Males  above  Twenty 
one  years  of  age  (  Lunatics,  Idiots,  &  Negroes  excepted)  to  sign  to  the 
Declaration  on  this  Paper;  and  when  so  done  to  make  Return  thereof, 
together  with  the  Name  or  Names  of  all  who  shall  refuse  to  sign  the 
same,  to  the  General  Assembly  or  Committee  of  Safety  of  this  Colony. 

"  M  Weare  Chairman." 

The  paper  submitted  for  signature  is  known  as  the  "  Articles  of 
Association." 

ARTICLES. 

"  In  consequence  of  the  above  Resolution  of  the  Hon  Continental 
Congress,  and  to  show  our  determination  in  joining  our  American 
Brethren  in  defending  our  Lives,  Liberties  and  Properties  of  the  Inhab- 
itants of  the  United  Colonies  : 

"TFe  the  subscribers,  do  hereby  solemnly  engage,  and  promise,  that  we 
tuill  to  the  utmost  of  our  Potver,  at  the  Risque  of  our  Lives  and  Fortunes, 
with  Arms,  oppose  the  Hostile  Proceedings  of  the  British  Fleets  and  Ar- 
mies against  the  United  Colonies." 

This  was  the  people's  Declaration  of  Independence,  agreed  to  be- 
fore the  signing  of  that  document  issued  hy  the  continental  con- 
gress, July  4.  They  put  their  names  boldly  to  the  paper,  thereby 
declaring  themselves  rebels. 


1776.] 


CIVIL    HISTORY. 


115 


Every  citizen  of  Boscawen,  with  one  exception,  signed  it.  From 
this  document,  we  have  the  name  of  every  male  adult  in  town  in 
the  spring  of  1776,  not  including  those  who  were  doing  military 
service. 


"  Joseph  Hoit. 
Moses  Call. 
Moses  Morse. 
Jesse  Flanders. 
Moses  Burbauk. 
John  Flanders. 
Daniel  Noyes. 
Daniel  Clark. 
Benj''  Da)'. 
Kathan  Corser. 
Joseph  Atkinson. 
Robie.  Morrill. 
Moses  Bnrbank,  jr. 
Thomas  Gardner. 
Samuel  Atkinson. 
Jeremiah  Hidden. 
Caleb  Merrill. 
Daniel  Peterson. 
Benjamin  Couch. 
Jacob  Flanders. 
John  Knowlton. 
Eben  Hidden. 
Henry  Gerrish. 
Daniel  Shepard. 
Isaac  Pearson. 
Winthrop  Carter. 
Samuel  Davis. 
Benj"  Rolfe. 
Ezeliiel  Flanders. 
John  Elliot,  jr. 
Thomas  Elliot. 
John  Muzay. 
John  Jackman. 
James  Garies  [Gerald?]. 
Enos  Flanders. 
Jedediah  Danford. 
Jesse  Flanders,  jr. 
William  Danford,  Jr. 


Samuel  Corser. 
Stephen  Gerrish. 
Samuel  Burbank. 
Moses  Jackman. 
Enoch  Gerrish. 
John  Morrill. 
Silas  Call. 
Joseph  Gerrish. 
Mich^  Sargent. 
Thomas  Bedel. 
Simeon  Jackman, 
William  Welch. 
Moses  Call. 
David  Burbank. 
Simeon  Atkinson. 
Timothy  Eastman. 
Joseph  Pearson. 
Joseph  Flanders. 
Friend  Little. 
John  Corser. 
Edmund  Chadwick. 
Moses  Morse,  jun. 
Moses  Manuel. 
Samuel  Jackman. 
Daniel  Richards. 
David  Coi'ser. 
Asa  Corser. 
John  Corser. 
Edward  Garies  [Gerald?]. 
John  Manuel. 
Bitfield  Plumer. 
David  Carter. 
Nathaniel  Gookin. 
John  Stevens. 
Samuel  Ames. 
Thomas  Corser. 
Jonathan  Atkinson. 
Samuel  Clifford. 


116  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1777. 

Peter  Kimball.  Joseph  Bean. 

John  Hale.  John  Fowler. 

Robert  Elliot.  John  Ilsley. 

James  French.  Peter  Coffin. 

Sam^  Danford.  Oliver  Fowler. 

Benjamin  Jackman.  John  Bowley. 

Joseph  Muzzy.  John  Bowley,  jr. 

Samuel  Muzzy.  John  Corser,  Jan. 

Isaac  Noyes.  George  Jackman- 

Peter  Roswell  Stevens.  Samuel  Agaton. 

William  Danford.  John  Uran. 

Nicholas  Elliot.  George  Jackman,  jun. 

Capt.  Stephen  Gerrish.  Cutting  Noyes. 

Nathaniel  Atkinson.  John  Elliot. 

Enoch  Little.  Joseph  Eastman.    Total,  108. 

Nathan  Davis. 
"  To  the  honorable  Council  and  House  of  Representatives  for  the 
Colony  of  New  Hampshire,  or  Committee  of  Safety.  This  may  cer- 
tify that  the  within  Declaration  have  Been  offered  to  the  Inhabitants 
of  Boscawen  and  unanimously  signed  excepting  one  (viz)  Aaron 
Flanders  Refused  to  sign  the  same. 

"  George  Jackman  ") 
Cutting  Noyes      ^  Selectmen 
John  Elliot  ) 

"  June  3  1776." 

It  is  probable  that  Mr.  Flanders's  refusal  to  sign  was  not  from 
any  hostility  to  the  cause  of  liberty,  nor  from  fear  of  conse- 
quences, but  from  his  temperament  as  an  individual.  He  was  a 
person  who  found  pleasure  in  being  on  the  side  opposite  the  ma- 
jority, no  matter  what  the  question.  It  is  not  known  that  his 
fellow-citizens  abated  their  confidence  in  his  loyalty  from  his  re- 
fusal to  sign  this  declaration  of  independence. 

The  names  given  are  from  the  original  document  in  the  secre- 
tary of  state's  office.  It  is  difficult  to  make  out  some  of  the  signa- 
tures. The  name  given  in  the  provincial  papers  as  "  Garies  "  is 
undoubtedly  Gerald,  as  no  such  name  appears  in  contemporaneous 
records,  and  as  it  is  Icnown  that  Mr.  Edward  and  Mr.  James  Ger- 
ald were  residents  of  the  town  at  the  time. 

March  4.     At  the  annual  meeting,  £35  was  voted  for  schools, 

£35  for  preaching,  £20  for  the  town,  and  £4:0  for  the  highways. 

March  28.     Among  the  citizens  of  the  county,  who  were  sup- 


1778.]  CIVIL    HISTORY,  117 

posed  to  be  tories,  were  Peter  Green,  Esq.,  a  lawyer  residing  at 
Concord,  also  Jacob  Green,  a  deputy  sberiff ;  and  the  patriots  of 
Boscawen  concluded  to  make  known  their  sentiments  in  regard 
to  tlie  gentlemen  in  the  following  manner : 

Voted,  "that  we  will  break  off  all  counections  with  Peter  Gi'ceu 
Esq,  in  regard  to  employing  him  as  an  attorney  at  law." 

Voted,  "  that  we  will  not  employ  uor  have  any  connection  with  Jacob 
Green  as  Deputy  Sheriff." 

On  the  next  day,  March  29,  the  citizens  deliberated  on  the 
state  of  the  country,  and  passed  the  following  j^atriotic  votes  : 

"  That  Capt  Stephen  Gerrish,  Capt  Peter  Kimball,  Samuel  Fowler 
Esq,  Lieut  Benj  Jackman,  Mr  John  Flanders,  &  George  Jackman  Esq, 
be  a  committee  to  propose  a  plan  and  lay  before  the  Town  for  procur- 
ing the  men  to  go  into  the  service  of  the  United  States  of  America  agree- 
ably to  Order  of  Court." 

Voted,  "  that  the  war  for  time  past  &  for  future  be  maintained  by  a 
tax  on  the  Inhabitants  in  the  same  manner  as  the  Law  directs  for  Prov- 
ince Tax,  allowing  a  man  no  more  for  four  months  service  on  his  credit 
in  the  Southern  army  than  for  three  mouths  in  the  Northern  army  and 
so  in  proportion." 

Voted,  "  to  give  fifty  dollars  as  a  bounty  or  hire  from  this  Town  to 
each  man  who  shall  engage  to  go  into  the  service  of  this  Town  for  three 
years." 

Voted,  "that  the  selectmen  provide  the  money  to  pay  the  men  who 
shall  enlist." 

April  25.  The  citizens  again  assembled  to  take  measures  to 
push  on  the  war  : 

Voted,  "  to  carry  on  the  war  by  a  tax  in  equal  proportion,  on  the  in- 
habitants according  to  interest  in  the  same  manner  as  for  their  town 
tax." 

A  committee  v^as  appointed,  consisting  of  George  Jackman, 
Capt.  Peter  Kimball,  John  Elliot,  Lieut.  Enoch  Gerrish,  Mr. 
John  Planders,  Samuel  Muzzy,  Capt.  Samuel  Atkinson,  and 
Isaac  Pearson,  "  to  enquire  into  the  state  of  service  already  done  in 
the  war,  &  make  a  just  &  equitable  estimate  of  each  Term  that 
has  been  done  &  make  report." 

The  depreciation  of  the  Continental  currency  had  already 
begun,  and  prices  were  unsettled.  The  state,  therefore,  under- 
took to  regulate  them.  In  accordance  with  an  act  of  the  council 
and  assembly,  a  town-meeting  was  held  to  undertake  this  task  of 


118  CIVIL   HISTORY.  [1779. 

making  water  run  up  hill, — settling  what  never  has  been  or  can 
be  settled. 

Capt.  Peter  Coffin,  Lieut.  Winthrop  Carter,  Joseph  Atkinson, 
Capt.  Peter  Kimball,  Lieut.  Moses  Burbank,  Mr.  Robie  Morrill, 
Lieut.  Moses  Call,  and  George  Jackman,  Esq.,  were  chosen  a  com- 
mittee ''to  regulate  the  price  of  sundry  articles  enumerated  in 
sundry  acts  of  the  General  Court  of  New  Hampshire ;  also  to 
state  such  prices  as  are  not  therein  enumerated." 

Although  sustaining  this  war,  the  town  was  not  unmindful  of 
the  needs  of  education.  Upon  the  selectmen's  accounts  are  the 
following  items  : 

"Paid  Capt  Peter  Coffin  towards  Schooling  £16—  8—  0 

Paid  for  Ammunition  10 —  0 —  0 

toward  Scliool  on  High  st  5 — 14 —  0 

toward  keeping  school  at  the  lower  end  (King  st)  9 — 12 —  1 

pd  Expei'ieuce  Eastbrook,  for  preaching  21 —  0 —  0  " 

PREACHIXG    AT    THE    WEST    END, 

At  the  annual  meeting,  in  March,  a  petition  was  presented,  by 
some  of  the  citizens  living  west  of  Beaver-dam,  praying  that  they 
might  be  permitted  to  have  preaching  at  that  end  of  the  town, 
in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  their  taxes.  The  request  was 
granted. 

SMALL-POX. 

It  appears  that  inoculation  for  small-]30x  was  at  this  time  re- 
garded as  a  hazardous  experiment.  The  question  came  up  in 
town-meeting,  and,  after  discussion,  the  following  vote  was 
passed : 

^'' Voted  that  Col  Gerrish  &  his  family  have  the  liberty  to  be  innocu- 
lated  for  the  small-pox  if  it  appear  to  the  selectmen  to  be  expedient  & 
may  be  done  with  safety  in  the  town's  behalf." 

March  2,  1779.  Notwithstanding  the  taxes  imposed  by  the  war 
for  independence,  the  citizens  did  not  abate  any  expense  in  main- 
taining preaching. 

Voted,  "  that  the  ministerial  committee  inform  Mr.  Eastabrook 
that  it  is  the  unanimous  vote  that  he  would  supply  them  again  as 
soon  as  his  engagement  is  out  at  Londonderr}-.'' 

Provision  was  made  to  supply  the  families  of  those  who  had 
enlisted  in  the  continental  service. 


1779.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  119 

John  Flanders  and  Samuel  Atkinson  were  chosen  "  to  procure 
hinges,  bars  &  lock  to  the  meeting  house,  &  see  the  same  se- 
cured." 

One  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  was  raised  for  highways,  £40 
for  school,  £30  for  preaching,  and  £30  for  the  town. 

It  was  voted  to  make  "  some  consideration  to  the  men  who  had 
enlisted  in  the  continental  service." 

April  21.  George  Jackman  was  elected  as  delegate  to  the  con- 
vention called  to  meet  at  Concord  on  the  10th  of  June,  ''  to  form 
a  permanent  place  for  state  government.  Also  voted  that  Nich- 
olas Davis  keep  the  key  of  the  meeting  house." 

At  this  meeting  the  voters  of  Salisburj''  were  present,  and  the 
two  towns  agreed  not  to  send  a  representative  to  the  General  As- 
sembly. This  action  was  not  from  any  want  of  patriotism,  but 
evidently  it  was  the  opinion  of  the  people  that  the  convention  to 
be  held  in  Concord  was  the  more  important  assembly,  and  that 
the  old  government  would  soon  be  superseded  by  the  new. 

May  12.  Voted  to  employ  Rev.  Experience  Eastabrook  three 
months  as  preacher,  and  to  raise  £100  for  the  support  of  the  gos- 
pel. 

[From  the  selectmen's  accounts.] 
"paid  Mr  Eastabrook  for  one  days  preaching  £9 —  0 —  0 

paid  Mr  Ward  For  preaching  a  Day  3 — 12 —  0 

paid  Benj  Thurston  for  preaching  two  Days  18 —  0 —  0 

paid  for  keeping  Mr  Eastbrooks  hors  5  weeks  2 —  5 —  0 

paid  Mr  Abraham  Gumming  sixty  six  pound  toward 

preaching  at  Boscawen  66 —  0 —  0 

paid  Cutting  Noyes  for  Sarvice  as  selectmen  two  years, 

keeping  schoole  &  Going  to  Salisbury  for  a  cow       27 —  8 —  0 
paid  Henry  Gerrish  for  money  paid  Mr  Potter  (minister) 

&  for  Bording  mr  Jiidson's  horse  two (days)       4 — 19 —  0 

paid  Isaac  Noyes  for  making  two  Collins  3 — 12 —  0  " 

SAW-MILL    AT    THE    WEST    END. 

During  the  year  a  saw-iiiill  was  erected  on  Blackwater  river,  a 
few  rods  above  the  mill  now  owned  by  Friend  L.  Burljank,  Esq. 
It  was  erected  by  Henr}^  Gerrish.  Work  began  May  21,  and  the 
mill  was  finished  July  19.  A  large  number  of  men  were  em- 
ployed in  its  construction,  their  united  work  being  349  days. 


>120  CIVIL   HISTORY.  [1779. 

PAPER    RAGS. 

The  war  had  made  paper  very  scarce.  The  liome  manufacture 
of  paper  was  begun ;  but  rags  were  needed.  The  town,  at  its  an- 
nual meeting,  voted, — 

"  That  Dea  Isaac  Pearson  &  Capt  Samuel  Atkinson  be  collectors  of 
Bags  for  the  Paper  Mill.'' 

Neither  by  record  nor  tradition  can  we  learn  the  location  of  the 
paper-mill.     Probably  it  was  in  some  other  town. 

Col.  Henry  Gerrish  and  Capt.  Peter  Kimball  were  appointed  to 
procure  men  for  the  service  of  the  United  States. 

Owing  to  the  depreciation  of  the  currency,  the  town  voted  that 
fiye  dollars  should  be  paid  for  a  day's  work  on  the  highway. 

July  7.  At  a  town-meeting,  held  this  date,  the  selectmen  and 
Capt.  Peter  Kimball  were  appointed  to  hire  four  "  Continental 
men,  &  five  Ehode  Island  men  upon  the  most  reasonable  terms 
they  can,"  and  further  to  supply  men  from  time  to  time  as  they 
should  be  called  for. 

Sept.  8.  The  plan  of  government  prepared  b}'  tlie  convention 
at  Concord  was  presented  to  the  citizens,  thirty-five  of  whom 
were  present.  It  was  read,  article  by  article,  and  rejected, — fif- 
teen voting  for  and  twenty  against  its  acceptance. 

Nov.  3.  At  this  meeting  the  town  once  more  attempted  to 
make  water  run  up  hill,  by  choosing  a  committee  to  regulate 
prices. 

A  convention  of  town  committees  was  held  at  Concord ; — but 
laws  of  trade  are  superior  to  committees,  and  people  bought  and 
sold  irrespective  of  tariffs. 

ITEMS     OF    EXPENSE. 

"  paid  Daniel  Flanders  Nathan  Carter  &  Joseph  hoit  in 

part  for  going  in  the  Sarvice  two  months  49 — 16 —  0 
paid  John  Elliot  for  money  paid  Mr  Henery  for  keeping 

school  1—10—  0 
paid  John  Elliot  for  Sarvice  as  selectman  and  Bording 

a  school  mistress  7 —  8 —  0  " 
This  is  the  first  mention  of  a  school-mistress  on  the  town  rec- 
ords. 

"  Paid  Mr  ITutchins  for  preaching  66 —  6 —  0 

paid  William  Mirrick  for  Boarding  school  master  3 —  0 —  0  " 


1779.]  CIVIL   HISTORY.  121 

RETURNS    OF    THE    INVENTORY. 

"  Number  of  Polls  18  years  old  &  upward  189 

Number  of  male  slaves  0 

Female  slaves  0 

Number  of  acres  of  Orchard  Land  7|- 

Number  of  acres  of  arable  tillage  land  205 

Number  of  acres  of  mowing  land  601 

Number  of  acres  of  Pasture  land  358 

Number  of  Horses  &  Mears  57 

Number  of  colts  2  years  old  1 1 

Colts  one  year  old  13 

Oxen  82 

Cows  77 

Cattle  3  years  old  68 

<'      2      "      "  82 

u      I     u      <<  107 

yearly  reve  [revenue]  of  mills  repairs  deducted  £70 
Sum  total  of  the  value  of  all  Building  &  real  estate  improved 

owned  by  the  Inhabitants  £4789 

unimproved  real  estate  not  owned  by  the  Inhabitants  £2200 

Sum  total  of  value  of  stock  in  Trade  £200 
Sum  total  of  money  iu  hand  or  at  interest  not  in  the  public 

fund  £225  " 

CHARGE    TO    LIEUT.  WINTHROP    CARTER,    CONSTABLE. 

"  To  a  Continental  &  State  Rate  £1575—  7—  6 

To  a  County  &  Town  Eate  144—  0—  0 

To  a  minister  Rate  121 — 07 —  1 

To  a  Continental  Rate  ad  2971—  1—  8 

To  a  Non  Resident  proprietors  Rate  451 — 15 —  0 

To  a  War  Rate  670—17—  7 

£5934—  9—  4  " 


[1780. 


OHAPTEE   YIII. 

CLOSE  OF  THE  WAR. 

^  HE  theatre  of  war  was  in  the  Southern  states,  and  the  militia, 
^4^  while  being  always  ready  for  service,  was  not  called  upon  for 
active  duties.  The  citizens,  however,  were  compelled  to  manifest 
their  patriotism  in  a  most-unwelcome  way, — the  payment  of  heavy 
taxes  in  a  currency  depreciated  to  such  an  extent  that  one  hundred 
dollars  would  barely  suffice  to  buy  a  pair  of  shoes,  or  pay  for  an 
ordinary  meal.  The  rates  charged  to  constable  David  Corser 
were, — 

"  To  a  Continental  Rate  £14058—  2—  6 

To  a  Rate  on  the  Non  Residents  740—  0—  0 

To  a  Town  Rate  2045—18—  9 

To  a  School  Rate  1525—  9—  0 

To  a  County  Kate  131—16—  0 

To  a  Ministerial  Rate  1024—1.5—  0 

To  a  tax  on  the  Improved  land  of  the  Nou  Resident 

Proprietors  65 — 15 —  0 


£19.592—  6—  5 
To  a  Beef  &  AYar  Rate  14910—04—00 


£34502—10—  6  " 
The  disbursements  were  largely  on  account  of  the  war. 

ITKMS. 

"  To  Mr  Hutchinson  for  preaching  92 —  8 —  0 

clothing  for  Jonathan  Uran  for  the  Sarvice  99 —  9 —  0 

paid  W™  Jackman  for  Beef  189—  3—  0 

"       "          "         for  Sarvice  259—18—  0 

"      ''          "        for  going  into  Sarvice  269 —  3 —  6 


same 
same 


47—11—  0 
30—18—  0 


1780.] 


CIVIL    HISTORY.  123 


paid  for  a  pair  of  Stockings  for  Jonatlian  Urau  18 —  0 —  0 

paid  for  a  shirt  for  Jonathan  Urau  22 — 10 —  0 

paid  Capt  Peter  Coffin  for  beef  319—18—  0  " 

Tliomas  Coffin,  though  but  four  years  old  at  the  time,  remem- 
bered the  transaction.     The  rate  was  levied  in  Continental  money, 
but  was  paid  in  coin.     He  remembered  the  clinking  of  the  Spanish 
milled  dollars  on  the  hearth,  to  ascertain  their  genuineness. 
"paid  Joseph  Couch  for  boarding  Mr  Noyes  &  horse  72 —  0 —  0  " 

Mr.  Noyes  probably  was  a  minister,  the  last  employed  before 
the  engagement  of  Rev.  Samuel  Wood.  How  long  he  preached 
is  not  known.  From  another  entry,  in  1783,  "  paid  Mr  Thomas 
Noyes  for  preaching  4 — 10 — 0,"  it  may  be  inferred  that  he  was  an 
occasional  preacher,  supplying  the  pulpit  from  time  to  time. 
"  Paid  John  Flanders  casting  lead  into  Balls  26 —  5 —  0 

Paid  Daniel  Clark  for  a  pair  of  shoes  for  Uran  30 —  0 —  0 

paid  Joseph  Hoit  for  going  into  sarvice  259 —  0 —  0 

paid  Simeon  Carr  259—  0—  0 

paid  Jonathan  Atkinson  for  keeping  schoole  288 —  0 —  0 

paid  Wiuthrop  Carter  for  a  hat  for  John  Uran  21 —  0 —  0 

paid  for  clothing  John  Uran  for  Sarvice  140 —  0 —  0 

paid  Jonathan  Urau  for  going  into  Sarvice  90 —  0 —  0 

paid  Jonathan  Uran  for  going  to  be  mustered  69 —  0 —  0  " 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  Jonathan  Uran  was  a  valiant  soldier,  for 
it  cost  a  great  deal  of  money,  to  say  nothing  of  the  selectmen's 
running  here  and  there,  to  get  him  into  the  "  Sarvice." 
"  paid  Joseph  Lunt  for  two  pairs  of  Shoes  for  Jonathan 

Uran  72—  0—  0 

paid  Enoch  Little  for  his  son's  sarvice  in  the  army  4G1 —  0 —  0 

paid  Cutting  Noyes  for  cloth  for  Jonathan  Uran  33 — 15 —  0 

paid  Joseph  Little  going  into  Sarvice  189 —  0 —  0 

for  Sarvice  210-0-0 

paid  .Moses  Morse  for  cloth  for  Jonathan  Uran  65 — 11 —  0  " 

KEV.    SAMUEL    WOOD. 

During  the  year,  Mr.  Samuel  Wood,  of  Lebanon,  a  graduate  of 
Dartmouth,  and  a  young  theologue,  was  employed  to  preach.  The 
town  had  been  without  a  settled  minister  during  the  whole  period 
of  the  war.  Mr.  Wood  being  an  acceptable  preacher,  a  movement 
was  made  towards  his  settlement ;  but  no  result  was  reached  till 
the  ensuing  year. 


124  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1781. 

The  depreciation  of  the  continental  currency  was  so  great,  that 
a  day's  work  on  the  highway  was  reckoned  at  £6,  or  $20.  The 
selectmen  had  heen  accustomed  to  charge  $2  a  year  for  their  ser- 
vices, hut  the  town  voted  $100  instead,  and  two  bushels  of  pease  ! 
The  pease  were,  probably,  quite  as  valuable  as  the  money. 

1781.  The  selectmen  were  directed  to  assess  a  tax  that  would 
su2:)ply  preaching  for  eight  months,  and  the  committee  were  di- 
rected to  employ  Mr.  Wood  at  least  four  Sundays. 

Lieut.  Enoch  Gerrish  was  chosen  town  agent  for  procuring 
beef  for  the  continental  army. 

The  first  record  of  the  several  school-districts  gives  the  division 
of  the  school  money : 

SCHOOL-DISTRICTS. 

"  Proportion  of  school  money  to  Each  District  for  the  year  1781 

The  lower  end  school  [King  st]  £8 —  3 —  5 

Kiver  Road  School  [Fish  st]  3—16—10 

Water  st  School  5—  0—  4 

Over  the  Pond  South  Dist  [Putney]  4—  7—11 

Over  the  Pond  North  District  [White  Plain]  3—  9—  9 

Atkinson  District  3—  1—  9  " 

The  districts  on  Corser  hill,  Little  hill,  and  Battle  street  are 
wanting. 

TOWX    RATES. 

The  taxes  charged  to  Constable  George  Jackman,  collector, 
show  that  they  were  levied  partly  in  the  new  emission  of  conti- 
nental mone}^,  and  partly  in  hard  money. 

CALL    TO    REV.    MR.  WOOD. 

July  31.  A  special  meeting  was  held,  at  the  request  of  the 
church,  to  ascertain  the  sentiments  of  the  town  in  regard  to  set- 
tling Mr.  Wood,  and  adjourned  to  August  13,  when  it  was  voted — 
66  to  16 — to  extend  an  invitation  to  Mr.  Wood,  with  a  salary  of 
£50  for  the  first  two  years, — the  money  to  be  valued  at  6s.  6d.  per 
ounce, — to  be  paid  in  coin,  or  its  equivalent  in  current  money. 
After  two  years  the  salary  was  to  increase  £5  per  annum  until 
it  reached  £70,  which  from  that  time  on  was  to  be  his  salary. 


1781. J  CIVIL    HISTORY.  125 

The  town  also  voted  £90  for  his  expenses  of  settlement,  Avith 
the  use  of  the  parsonage. 

A  protest  was  signed  by  twenty  voters,  and  entered  upon  the 
records,  "against  the  proceedings  of  this  &  former  meetings  in 
proceeding  to  settle  Mr.  Wood  in  the  Presbyterian  way  as  a 
town." 

THEOLOGY. 

Theological  lines  at  this  period  were  sharply  drawn,  in  regard 
to  the  doctrine  of  the  atonement  and  original  sin.  Especially 
was  this  the  case  in  Newbury,  from  whence  most  of  the  original 
proprietors  came.  Dr.  Murray,  of  that  town,  was  an  exponent 
of  what  was  called  the  "  limited  atonement,"  or  an  atonement  for 
the  elect,  while  Dr.  Samiiel  Spring  was  a  leader  of  the  "  new 
view,"  as  it  was  called — that  Christ  died  for  all.  The  majority 
of  the  citizens  of  Boscawen  had  accepted  the  "  new  view,"  while 
there  was  still  a  respectable  minority  who  believed  in  the  '*  lim- 
ited atonement." 

Out  of  this  controversy  came  new  names.  The  new  view  men 
were  called  "  Four-cornered  "  or  "  Square  men,"  and  the  others 
"  Three-cornered  men."  The  '"'  four-cornered  men  "  arrogated  to 
themselves  more  comprehensive  views,  and  a  fuller  and  more  per- 
fect system  of  doctrine,  than  were  held  by  their  "  three-cornered  " 
brothers. 

CROWSFOOT    A^"D    THEOLOGY. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  tlie  yellow  crowsfoot,  or  butter- 
cup, made  its  appearance  in  the  fields  and  pastures.  It  is  nar- 
rated that  a  "  three-cornered  "  man,  while  mowing  the  crowsfoot 
with  the  intention  of  exterminating  it  as  a  noxious  weed,  said, — 
'•  So  am  I  determined  to  do  what  I  can  to  exterminate  the  heresy 
of  the  general  atonement !  " 

Those  who  protested  against  the  settlement  of  Mr.  Wood  were 
the  "  three-cornered  "  men.  Although  the  opposition  was  so  pro- 
nounced, Mr.  Wood  was  settled,  the  ordination  being  on  the  17th 
of  October,  1782. 

Erom  the  first  settlement  of  the  town  "  the  gospel "  was  the 
first  care  of  the  inhabitants.  No  matter  how  difficult  to  obtain 
the  necessaries  of  life,  to  clear  the  forests,  to  obtain  their  daily 


126  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1782. 

bread,  to  protect  themselves  from  the  Indians,  or  to  secure  their 
liberties,  the  gospel  must  be  preached.  It  is  the  one  distinguish-^ 
ing  feature  of  the  proprietors'  and  the  town  records.  Without 
doubt,  the  prosperity,  stability,  and  high  character  of  the  town,  for 
one  hundred  and  forty  years,  are  due  to  this  devotion  to  principle. 
Eev.  Mr.  Wood,  by  his  urbanity  and  prudence,  won  universal 
esteem,  silenced  all  opposition,  and  remained  the  pastor  of  the 
church  till  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1834. 

LORDS    PROPRIETORS. 

The  lands  of  the  proprietors  who  had  not  paid  their  taxes  were 
sold  July  11th.  Though  so  large  a  proportion  of  the  tax  had  been 
levied  in  the  new  emission  of  continental  money,  the  depreciation 
was  so  great  that  the  taxes  yielded  very  little  revenue ;  and  at  a 
town-meeting,  held  September  10th,  the  selectmen  were  directed  to 
levy  the  tax  anew,  in  silver. 

Boscawen  at  this  time  was  classed  with  Salisbury  as  a  repre- 
sentative district ;  but  the  two  towns  could  not  agree  upon  a  candi- 
date, and  remained  unrepresented. 

1782.  Though  Cornwallis  had  surrendered,  peace  had  not  been 
declared.  The  town  still  stood  ready  to  meet  any  demand  that 
might  come,  for  men  or  supplies.  At  the  annual  meeting,  in 
March,  Lieut.  Enoch  Gerrish  was  again  chosen  to  provide  men, 
beef,  and  clothing  for  the  army,  if  needed. 

The  meeting-house  had  been  erected  thirteen  years,  but  the 
galleries  were  still  unfinished.  The  calls  for  money  during  the 
war  had  been  so  frequent  and  urgent,  that  no  effort  had  been 
made  towards  completing  the  edifice.  At  a  special  meeting,  held 
in  May,  the  town  voted  to  sell  the  gallery  pews,  and  apply  the 
proceeds  towards  finishing  the  house. 

proprietors'  meeting. 

For  a  period  of  ten  years  there  had  been  no  meeting  of  the  pro- 
prietors. Many  of  the  proprietors,  or  their  heirs,  deemed  it  ad- 
visable to  sell  the  lands  held  in  common  and  undivided ;  and  a 
meeting  was  held,  October  2d,  to  take  the  matter  into  considera- 
tion. 

It  was  voted  to  sell  the  remaining  estates  at  public  auction.  As 


1782.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  127 

a  tokeu  of  their  desire  to  aid  in  every  public  enterprise,  tliey  made 
a  donation  of  400  feet  of  glass  for  the  glazing  of  the  windows  in 
the  gallery  of  the  meeting-house,  and  Col.  Henry  Gerrish  was  ap- 
pointed to  procure  the  same. 

CLAY    HILL. 

At  an  adjourned  meeting,  held  November  12th,  the  proprietors 
sjDecifically  reserved  two  acres  of  land  at  Clay  hill,  to  be  for  the 
common  use  of  all  the  proprietors, — thus  securing  forever  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  town  an  interest  in  the  excellent  deposit  of 
clay  at  that  locality. 

FROM    THE    selectmen's    ACCOUXTS. 

Feb.  28. 

"  paid  for  rum  for  the  army  13 — 11 — 4 
paid  to  Simeoa  Atkinson  for  Banestors  &  Hing  [for  the 

Meeting  House]  7^ —  0 

paid  Mehetable  Hidden  for  keeping  schoole  16 —  0  " 

Although  a  female  teacher  was  employed  as  early  as  1779,  the 
name  of  IMehitable  Hidden  is  the  first  of  her  sex  on  record. 

Another  item : 
"paid  Wells  Burbank  for  hording  School  Dame  1 —  1 —  0  " 

Mr.  Wells  Burbank  lived  on  Water  street,  on  land  formerly 
owned  by  Thomas  Coffin — now  by  G.  W.  Fisher — and  the  chil- 
dren of  that  district  had  therefore  the  benefit  of  Miss  Hidden's 
instruction. 

In  February,  the  selectmen  settled  with  Eev.  Mr.  Wood  for  his 
services  before  his  ordination. 

[From  the  Records.] 

"Feb  28  1782. 
''  This  Day  reckoned  and  settled  with  the  selectmen  of  the  Town  of 
Boscawen  and  Received  an  order  on  Benjamin  Jackman  constable  for 
the  sum  of  Nine  Pound  three  shillings  &  ten  pence  Lawful  money 
■which  is  in  Full  for  all  the  Time  I  have  supplied  the  Desk  in  Boscawen 
before  the  Day  of  my  ordination 

Samuel  "Wood 

George  Jackman  K^j^^^^^^^^„ 
Cuttmg  JSloyes      ) 


128  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1783. 

STATE    AND    KATIONAL    GOVERNMENT. 

1783.  The  plan  of  state  government,  sent  to  the  towns  for 
adoption,  was  presented  at  the  annual  meeting,  in  March,  and  re- 
jected. 

Eev.  Samuel  Wood,  Col.  Henry  Gerrish,  and  Samuel  Fowler 
were  chosen  delegates  to  the  state  convention,  to  set  forth  the 
objections  of  the  tovm. 

At  a  meeting,  held  August  18th,  the  eighth  article  of  the  confed- 
eration between  the  states  was  approved  by  the  town,  as  recom- 
mended by  the  General  Court. 

SECOND    BRIDGE    OVER    THE    BLACK  WATER. 

At  a  special  meeting,  held  September  29th,  the  town  voted  to 
build  the  upper  bridge  over  the  Blackwater,  near  Dea.  Eliphalet 
Kilborn's  residence. 

The  selectmen's  books  show  the  amounts  of  the  school  fund  ap- 
portioned to  the  several  districts  : 

"Lower  End  Schol  [King  st]  16—  4—  6 

River  Rode  Schol  5 —  2 —  5 

Highst  Schol  6-2—8 

Water  st  Schol  12—17—  9 

South  District  over  Beaver  Dam  10—14—10 

North  District  over  Beaver  Dam  3 — 18 —  5  " 

TOWN    CENSUS. 

The  selectmen's  books  also  give  the  first  town  census  : 

"  Number  of  Inhabitants,  buildings  &  Land  in  Boscawen  as  taken 
Oct  178.3. 

"  White  Inhabitants  756 

Black  ditto  1 

Dwelling  houses  98 

Barns  &  other  Buiklings  101 

Acres  of  Land  25,820 

"Taken  April  1783 

"  No  of  Polls  from  eighteen  to  seventy-five  years  of  age  151 

No  of  negroes  0 

Acres  of  Orcharding  15 

Arable  &  Tillage  Land  196 


1784.]  CIVIL    HISTORY,  129 

Mowing  Land  652 

Pasture  Land  612 

No  of  Horses  &  mares  75 

Oxen  134 

Cows  221 

Horses  &  cattle  three  years  old  78 

Horses  &  cattle  two  years  old  114 

Horses  &  cattle  one  year  old  105 

yearly  rent  of  mills  £50 

value  of  all  Building  &  Keal  Estate  &  improved  land  £4463 

value  of  Real  Estate  not  owned  by  Inhabitants                             £2595 

value  of  stock  in  trade  £50 
value  of  money  in  hand  or  at  Interest  Not  in  the  publick 

Funds  0  " 

Tlio  town  had  been  settled  fifty  years,  and  tliougli  it  contained 
7d8  inliabitants,  yet  the  whole  anionnt  of  tillage,  pasturage,  mow- 
ing, and  orcharding  was  only  1,475  acres,  out  of  25,820  com- 
prised in  the  town  limits.  Thus  slowly  had  civilization  made  its 
way  in  the  dense  forest  that  at  the  outset  covered  all  the  terri- 
tory. 

MEETING-HOUSE    AT    THE    WEST    END. 

The  people  living  west  of  Beaver-dam  brook,  being  so  far  from 
meeting,  agitated  the  question  of  the  erection  of  a  house  of  wor- 
ship at  the  West  end,  and  a  committee  was  chosen  to  select  a  site. 

1784.  The  town  during  the  war  took  care  of  the  families  of 
the  soldiers  in  the  service.  In  the  selectmen's  accounts  are  the 
items  of  clothing,  provisions,  and  other  articles  furnished  the  fam- 
ily of  Joshua  Danford.  It  is  interesting,  because  it  sets  forth  the 
depreciation  of  the  currency,  and  the  peculiar  hardship  to  the 
soldiers  in  taking  their  pay  in  a  worthless  currency. 

"  Feb  16  1674. 

"  To  one  bushel  of  wheat  Delivered  you  0 —  6 —  0 

To  answering  your  order  by  John  Jarrold  4  bush  corn  12 —  0 

To  one  bushel  Corn  bj^  your  wife  3^ —  0 

To  one  bushel  &.  a  half  of  Corn  4 —  6 

To  Corn  by  Capt  Coffin  15—  0 

To  592  Continental  Dollars  75  for  one  2 —  7 —  3 

To  546  Continental  Dollars  at  100  for  one  1—13—  0 

To  a  ton  of  hay  &  a  bushel  of  potatoes  2 —  2 —  0 

To  30  lbs  salt  pork  at  9  pence  1 —  2 —  6 

9 


130  'CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1784. 

To  two  pair  shoes  &  one  pair  Mogersons  1 —  0 —  6 

To  Rum,  Sugar,  Molasses  &  Salt  by  Lunt  0 — 17 —  7 

To  oue  pair  shoes  6 —  0 

To  pasturing  a  cow  0 —  9 —  0 

To  4^  bushels  of  rye  1—  7—  0 

Boscawen  Fb  13  1784 
Keckoned  &  settled  all  accounts  with  Joshua  Danford 
From  the  time  of  His  first  Entering  into  Conti- 
nental Sarvice  up  to  the  First  Day  of  January  A  D 
1774  allowing  him  at  the  Rate  of  Sixty  Dollars  a 
year  as  a  hire  or  Bounty  and  Deducting  one  hun- 
dred dollars  in  part  of  the  above  amount  for 
amount  exhibited  to  the  state  for  alowauce  by  the 
order  &find  due  him  6 — 18 —  7 

"  Joshua  Danford." 

GENERAL    WARXIXG     OUT. 

During  the  year  the  selectmen  gave  a  general  ''  warning  out " 
to  persons  not  born  in  the  town, — not,  perhaps,  that  the  individ- 
uals were  likely  to  become  paupers,  but  as  a  precautionaiy  meas- 
ure. It  was  among  the  possibilities  that  well-to-do  citizens  might 
become  poor,  and  in  such  case  a  warning  out  would  relieve  the 
town  from  responsibility.  It  was  the  ethics  of  the  time.  Among 
the  number  thus  notified  to  leave  were  Schoolmaster  Fisk  and  fam- 
ily, and  others,  who,  through  life,  were  substantial  citizens.  The 
duty  was  performed  by  Constable  Edmund  Chadwick. 

ROAD    TO    DARTMOUTH    COLLEGE. 

Settlements  were  pushing  northward,  especially  up  the  Con- 
necticut valley.  The  rich  meadows  and  uplands  of  Haverhill  and 
Newbury  and  other  localities  were  exceedingly  attractive,  and 
there  was  a  public  demand  for  an  improved  road  from  the  Merri- 
mack to  the  upper  Connecticut.  The  people  of  the  upper  towns 
petitioned  the  legislature  for  a  public  road.  The  jjetition  was 
presented  in  1784,  and  an  act  passed  appointing  Timothy  Walker 
of  Concord,  Ebenezer  Smith  of  Meredith,  and  Henr}^  Gerrish  of 
Boscawen,  a  committee  to  lay  out  the  same  "  four  roads  wide,  be- 
ginning at  the  River  Road  or  highway  (so  called)  in  the  town  of 
Boscawen  in  the  most  convenient  place  &  from  thence  to  proceed 
in  the  most  direct  course  the  situation  of  the  land  wiU  admit  of  to 


1786.]  CIVIL   HISTORY.  131 

Connecticut  river  at  or  near  Dartmouth  CollegCj  having  respect 
to  public  &  private  interests." 

On  the  copy  of  the  act  sent  to  Col.  Henry  Gerrish  are  the 
notes, — 

"  1785  May  24  set  out.  Returned  30th  d —  7  Days.  Adjourned  to 
Sept  12th  1785  to  meet  at  Col  H  Gerrish's. 

"  Oct  26"^  1785.  Made  a  Return  of  said  Road  which  [was]  received 
&  was  accepted  by  the  General  Court." 

The  road  left  the  river  in  the  hollow  at  the  north  end  of  King 
street,  and  ascended  the  hill,  crossing  the  present  highwaj^,  and 
descending  the  steep  hill  to  Cold  brook ;  then  winding  up  the 
ravine  past  the  brick-kilns,  crossing  the  road  leading  to  Bashan, 
striking  across  the  plain  to  Woodbury  hill ;  thence  up  the  pres- 
ent travelled  road  to  Merrill  corner ;  thence  to  High  street.  So 
far  as  the  town  of  Boscaweu  was  concerned,  few  changes  were 
made  in  the  then  existing  roads. 

The  highway  was  called  the  ^'  College  "  road,  and  after  the 
fourth  New  Hampshire  turnpike  was  constructed,  was  known  as 
the  "  College  old  road." 

In  the  selectmen's  account  for  the  year  is  an  item  in  regard  to 
Blackwater  upper  bridge : 
*'  paid  Silas  Call  for  Rum  to  Raise  Blackwater  Bridge  7^ —  0." 

Whether  it  was  the  raising  of  a  bridge,  a  barn,  a  dwelling,  or  a 
meeting-house,  whether  a  wedding  or  a  funeral,  whether  the  citi- 
zens were  at  home  or  abroad,  nothing  was  done  without  the  stim- 
ulus of  ardent  spirit. 

'^overhauling"  a  committee. 

March  7,  1786.  The  citizens  of  Boscaweu  were  watchful  of 
their  interests.  At  this  meeting,  Capt.  Peter  Coffin,  Samuel 
Fowler,  and  Ebenezer  Hidden  were  appointed  "to  overhaul  and 
settle  with  a  former  committee  that  was  chosen  to  sell  the  Gal- 
lery pews  in  the  Meeting  house  &  see  how  they  have  proceeded 
in  the  matter." 

A  committee  was  also  appointed  "to  overhaul  the  selectmen's 
books." 

Maj.  Enoch  Gerrish  and  David  Carr  were  appointed  "to  assist 
the  surveyor  in  building  a  bridge  across  Clay  Hill." 


132  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1786. 

This  Lridge  was  intended  to  avoid  tlie  steep  descent  and  ascent 
tbrougli  the  gulf.     It  stood  a  few  feet  west  of  the  present  bridge. 

MANUFACTURES. 

Through  the  war  the  citizens  had  been  compelled  to  manufacture 
all  articles  of  wearing  apparel.  Carding  and  fulling  mills  were 
established  in  every  town.  Men  acquainted  with  the  dressing  of 
cloth  were  in  demand.  Some  time  during  the  war,  Isaac  Pearson, 
of  Newbury,  began  the  dressing  of  cloth  in  the  "  hollow,"  and  rap- 
idly accumulated  a  fortune. 

Hatters  were  also  a  necessity.  Wheelrights,  joiners,  cabinet- 
makers, were  to  be  found  in  every  town.  Wagons  were  not  at 
this  time  in  use,  but  carts  were  needed  everywhere.  Saddlers 
and  harness-makers,  and  mechanics  in  general,  were  able  to  thrive 
by  their  industry.     Skilled  labor  commanded  remunerative  prices. 

GUNPOWDER. 

During  the  war,  powder  was  in  great  demand. 

Many  stories  are  current  of  the  quality  of  some  of  the  powder  man- 
ufactured during  the  war.  There  was  a  scarcity  of  saltpetre,  and 
stable  floors  were  frequently  taken  up  to  obtain  the  earth  beneath 
for  leeching.  Some  of  the  powder  manufactured  was  slow  to  ignite, 
and  of  no  great  explosive  force  when  ignited.  It  is  related  that 
a  soldier,  having  some  of  the  poor  powder,  flashed  his  gun.  He 
thought  that  he  had  forgotten  to  load,  and  had  only  primed  it. 
He  placed  himself  in  position  to  load,  when,  hearing  a  fizzing,  he 
discovered  that  the  charge  had  taken  fire  and  was  coming  up  the 
barrel.  Being  quick-motioned,  he  took  aim  once  more,  just  in 
season  to  send  the  bullet  into  the  ranks  of  the  enemj'^ ! 

It  is  stated  that  on  another  occasion  a  quantity  of  powder  in  a 
keg  took  fire,  and  nearly  half  of  it  burnt  up  before  it  could  be 
extinguished ! 

These  stories,  if  classed  among  those  related  by  Baron  Munchau- 
sen, may  at  least  be  set  down  as  illustrative  of  the  humor  of  the 
times. 

SCARCITY    OF    MONEY. 

There  was  great  distress  at  this  time  on  account  of  the  scarcity 
of  money.     Paint  it  in  the  most  vivid  colors,  and  the  picture  will 


1787.]  CIVIL    HISTORY,  133 

not  be  overdrawn.  Continental  money  was  worthless.  A  hun- 
dred dollars  would  not  i^urchase  a  sjjool  of  thread,  or  a  brealifast. 
There  was  no  state  currency ;  there  were  no  hanks ;  there  was 
little  silver  and  less  gold  in  the  country.  The  small  amount  of 
silver  in  circulation  was  of  Spanish  coinage,  received  through 
trade  with  the  West  Indies.  There  was  little  direct  trade  with 
Europe,  and  what  little  had  sprung  up  was  against  the  United 
States,  rather  than  in  their  favor.  There  was  nothing  to  cause  a 
flow  of  the  precious  metals  to  America,  hut,  on  the  contrary,  what 
little  was  here  was  gradually  flowing  from  the  country :  and 
this  while  there  was  a  rapid  increase  of  poiKilation. 

Nearly  all  trade  was  by  barter.  The  great  difficulty  was  the  pay- 
ment of  taxes.  A  weak,  inchoate,  inert,  lifeless  confederation  of 
states  had  been  established, — a  body  without  a  heart  or  head. 

The  New  Hampshire  legislature  called  for  an  expression  of 
public  opinion  in  regard  to  the  issuing  of  a  paper  currency  by 
the  state.  The  town,  at  a  special  meeting  in  November,  gave  its 
assent  to  the  issuing  of  a  currency  equal  in  amount  to  the  in- 
debtedness of  the  state,  to  be  redeemed  at  the  end  of  seven  years. 

REBELLIONS. 

The  discontent  of  the  times  broke  into  open  rebellion  in  Massa- 
chusetts, under  Gen.  Shay,  the  leader  of  the  movement ;  also  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  in  the  sea-coast  towns  of  New  Hampshire. 
The  disturbance  in  this  state  was  quickly  quelled  by  the  firm, 
energetic,  yet  conciliatory  measures  of  Maj.  Gen.  Sullivan.  No 
breach  of  the  peace  occurred  in  Boscawen ;  but  tlie  spirit  of 
discontent  was  abroad,  manifest  in  a  disregard  for  law  and  order, 
as  will  be  seen  further  on. 

POPULATION. 

The  increase  of  population  in  the  town  may  be  seen  from  the 
following  item  in  the  selectmen's  books : 

"  The  Number  of  Soles  in  the  Town  of  Boscawen  of  Every  age  Seek 
and  Condition  taken  in  the  month  of  April  A  D  1786  are  computed  at 
827  Soles." 

The  town  met,  March  31,  to  choose  a  representative  to  the 


134  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1787. 

General  Court,  but,  after  mucli  debate,  voted  tbat  the  town  would 
not  be  represented. 

This  was  due  to  the  prevailing  discontent  of  the  times — a 
dissatisfaction  with  the  state  of  public  affairs,  the  want  of  cur- 
rency, and  an  inability  to  see  their  way  out  of  their  troubles.  The 
confederation  and  the  state  were  supposed  to  be  the  authors  of 
their  troubles,  or  at  least  responsible,  and  the  majority  of  the  citi- 
zens desired  no  connection  with  either  body. 

MOVEME^'T    FOR    A    NEW    COUNTY. 

Prom  the  formation  of  Hillsborough  county,  the  session  of  the 
court  had  been  held  at  Amherst ;  but  the  towns  in  the  northern 
section  agitated  the  question  of  making  a  second  shire  town.  A 
convention  was  called  to  meet  at  Warner,  to  which  delegates  were 
elected  by  the  several  towns.  Boscawen  united  in  the  effort,  and 
a  petition  was  presented  to  the  General  Court,  and  an  act  obtained 
making  Hopkinton  a  shire  town. 

FEDERAL    CONSTITUTION. 

The  federal  constitution,  framed  in  1787,  was  submitted  to  the 
states  for  adoption.  There  was  a  large  nuiiiber  of  people  in  the 
state  ojjposed  to  its  acceptance.  Many  of  the  citizens  of  Bos- 
cawen deemed  it  an  objectionable  instrument,  and  regarded  its 
adoption  as  a  surrender  of  their  liberties. 

At  a  special  meeting,  held  January  14,  the  town  elected  Capt. 
Joseph  Gerrish  delegate  to  the  convention  called  by  the  state.  He 
was  supposed  to  be  in  favor  of  the  adoption  of  the  constitution. 
The  minority,  not  satisfied  with  the  result,  induced  the  selectmen 
to  call  a  second  meeting,  May  23.  A  majority  of  those  present 
elected  Samuel  Fowler,  Esq.,  delegate,  and  instructed  him  to  vote 
against  the  adoption  of  the  constitution. 

The  two  delegates  made  their  appearance  at  the  convention, 
and  Capt.  Gerrish  was  deemed  to  be  duly  elected,  and  was  admit- 
ted to  his  seat.  He  expressed,  undoubtedly,  the  sentiments  of  a 
majority  of  the  citizens,  in  voting  for  the  adoption  of  the  consti- 
tution. 


1789.J  CIVIL   HISTORY.  "    135 

ELECTION    UNDER   THE     CONSTITUTION. 

Dec.  15.  The  first  election  was  held  under  the  federal  consti- 
tution, when  very  little  interest  was  manifested.  At  the  JNIarch 
meeting,  115  votes  were  cast  for  governor,  but  at  this  meeting 
the  highest  vote  for  electors  was  36. 

March  3,  1789.  Voted,  "  that  Mr  E  Chadwick  &  Mr  Samuel 
Muzzy,  two  former  Constables,  ha^e  the  liberty  to  collect  their 
taxes  now  due  in  neat  stock  provided  they  pay  in  the  same  be- 
tween the  first  day  of  May  &  the  first  day  of  June." 

SALE    OF    SCHOOL    LANDS. 

The  town  voted  to  dispose  of  a  portion  of  its  school  lands,  and 
keep  the  fund  intact  for  educational  purposes.  Money  was  very 
scarce.  The  federal  government  had  issued  no  coin.  Nearly  all 
transactions  were  by  barter.  It  was  accordingly  voted,  that 
"  Stock  equal  to  six  feet  oxen  at  twelve  pounds  the  york,  ($60), 
wheat  at  five  shillings  per  bushel,  rye  at  four  sliillings  &  Indian 
corn  at  three  shillings  be  taken  in  payment.'' 
The  lots  sold  as  follows  : 

"  House  lot  f  124. 

Interval  lot  210. 

80  Acre  lot  453. 


Sgi787." 
Two  other  lots — one  of  100  acres  and  one  of  45  acres — were  re- 
served.    The  amount  was  placed  on  interest,  loaned  to  the  town, 
and  has  so  remained  to  the  present  time,  the  interest  being  an- 
nually appropriated  to  the  support  of  schools. 

The  school-district  on  Little  hill  and  two  districts  west  of  Long 
pond  were  established  during  the  year. 

The  road  from  Long  street  south  to  Dwight  corner,  known  as 
Pleasant  street,  and  thence  to  Bashan  and  Hopkinton,  and  the 
road  from  High  to  Fish  street,  familiarly'-  known  as  the  ''cat- 
hole,"  were  opened  as  public  highways. 


[1790. 


OHAPTEE  IX. 

UNDER    THE     CONSTITUTION. 

^HE  adoption  of  the  federal  constitution,  the  reorganization 
'^  of  the  state  government,  brought  order  out  of  chaos.  Then 
began  a  period  of  advancement.  Emigration  set  in.  There  was 
a  rapid  increase  in  popuhation,  and  progress  in  domestic  as  well  as 
political  affairs.  In  a  very  short  time  the  meeting-house  accom- 
modation was  not  sufficient.  A  portion  of  the  floor  was  occupied 
by  "  seats  "  common  to  all ;  but  there  being  a  demand  for  more 
pews,  the  town  voted  to  sell  space  sufficient  for  the  completion  of 
four  pews. 

There  was  dignity  in  sitting  in  a  pew.  The  men  of  the  period 
estimated  rank,  condition,  station,  titles,  and  honor  at  their  full 
value.  The  minister,  of  all  men  in  town,  was  entitled  to  respect. 
The  deacons  and  elders  occupied  the  seats  immediately  in  front  of 
the  pulpit,  and  were  treated  with  much  respect.  The  town  jus- 
tice was  honored  in  his  office,  and  was  always  addressed  as 
"  Esquire."  Colonels,  captains,  lieutenants,  and  ensigns  were  hon- 
ored in  their  military  titles.  The  community  was  undergoing  a 
change;  it  had  reverenced  the  king,  but  now  the  community 
itself  was  king.  It  had  pushed  monarchy  from  the  throne, 
and  enthroned  itself :  it  had  assumed  the  prerogatives  of  govern- 
ment, and  was  beginning  to  feel  its  power.  A  few  years  later 
democracy  was  rampant,  but  at  this  time  law  and  order,  and  an 
adherence  to  old  time  customs,  were  characteristic  of  the  citizens 
of  the  town.  Men  who  were  able  to  own  a  pew  in  the  meeting- 
house were  not  disposed  to  occupy  the  common  seats.  Hence  the 
sale.     The  pews  were  bid  off  by 

Nathaniel  Green,  Esq.,  $66 

Joseph  Lunt,  41 


UJi.^^-t^'^^^^^yi^iC^C^     ^^^^-^^^Ci..-^^ 


1791.]  CIVIL    HISTORY, 


137 


Simeon  Atkinson,  f>40 

Enoch  Gerrish,  36 

1791.  For  some  cause  the  town  elected  five  selectmen,  the  first 
and  only  time  in  its  history. 

The  committee  for  finishing  the  meeting-house  were  instructed 
''  to  extend  the  length  of  the  front  gallery  &  that  there  be  two 
pews — one  on  each  end — finished  at  the  charge  of  the  town  near 
by  six  feet  square  &  that  the  remainder  be  finished  for  a  singers 
pew." 

"Voted  that  the  selectmen  be  directed  to  remove  Tliomas  Greenfield 
&  family  provided  that  it  be  according  to  law." 

What  Thomas  Greenfield  and  family  had  done  does  not  appear ; 
but  the  probabilities  are  that  they  stood  in  need  of  the  town's  aid, 
and  may  not  have  been  warned  to  leave.  From  the  vote,  it  would 
seem  that  the  question  before  the  town  was  one  of  law,  rather  than 
of  ethics  or  of  sentiment. 

The  people  at  the  West  end  had  made  several  efforts  to  obtain  a 
meeting-house  in  that  section,  but  not  having  succeeded,  agitated 
the  question  of  dividing  the  town,  and  prepared  a  petition  to  the 
General  Court  for  that  purpose. 

PETITIOX    FOB    A    NEW    TOWN. 

"  To  the  Honerable   Senate  &  House  of  Representative's  of  the  State 

of  New  Hampshire  in  General  Court  Assembled: 

"  Tlie  subscribers  Inliahitants  of  the  westerly  half  of  the  town  of 
Boscawen  in  said  state,  Humbly  beg  leave  to  show  that  the  easterly  half 
of  said  Town  was  first  settled  &  that  the  meeting  House  built  to  accom- 
modate that  part  of  the  Town  only,  giving  the  westerly  part  which  was 
then  thinly  inhabited  encouragement  for  a  parish  whfu  their  numbers 
were  sufficient,  but  as  it  is  not  agreeable  to  the  laws  of  the  state,  your 
petitioners  are  exposed  to  great  inconvenience  &  hardship  in  attending 
public  worship,  Town  Meetings  &  especially  in  the  winter  season — it 
being  more  than  five  miles  from  the  Meeting  House  to  the  Centre  of 
the  westerly  half  of  said  Town  &  that  from  the  combination  of  Ponds, 
Hills  &  Swamps  &c  which  lie  between  the  easterly  &  westerly  half  will 
ever  render  it  inconvenient  to  remain  in  one  District  &  in  our  present 
situation  we  have  no  redress  without  the  aid  of  this  court. 

"  Your  petitioners  therefore  pray  that  the  westerly  lialf  of  said  Town 
maybe  set  off  from  the  easterly  half  &  incorporated  into  a  seperate 
Town  by  the  name  of  Bristol  with  the  same  privileges  as  other  Towns 


138 


CIVIL   HISTORY. 


[1791. 


in  this  state  or  otherways  relieved  as  your  Honors  in  your  ■wisdom 
shall  see  meet  &  your  petitioners  as  in  Duty  bound  shall  ever  yjray. 
"Boscawen  June  1,  1791. 


"John  Thorla, 
Thos.  Thorla, 
Caleb  Knight 
Benja.  Stickney 
Jeremiah  Gerrish 
Moses  Coffin, 
James  Corser 
Friend  Little 
Benja.  Little 
Joseph  Little 
Enoch  Little  Jr 
Jesse  Little 
Naty  Barnard 
Tristam  Barnard 
Philip  Barnard 
Thomas  Barnard 
John  Asten 
Nathan  Stevens 
Samuel  Roby 
Samuel  Beverly 
William  Corser 
Thomas  Corser 
Samuel  Jackman 
John  Jackman 
Moses  Jackman 
Samuel  Atkinson 
Joseph  Hills 
Joseph  Cass 
Ben.  Cass 
Joseph  Gerrish. 
Eldad  Austin 
Asa  Day 
Benjamin  Day 
Simeon  Jackman 
Edward  Gerald 


Sam^  Jackman  3'^ 
Benj  Fisk 
John  Gerald 
Sam^  Googin 
Stephen  Corser 
George  Stone 
Benja.  Sweatt 
Enoch  Easman 
Timothy  Easman 
Tlio^  Easman 
James  Colby 
Moses  Calf 
Eliphalet  Little 
Benja  Couch 
Joseph  Little 
Sam'  Mors-s 
Eliphalet  Kilburn 
James  Little 
Simeon  Corser 
Nath'  Kilburn 
John  Corser 
Dani  Colby 
Jon  a  Corser 
Jedidiah  Kilburn 
Jedidiah  Danford 
Nicholas  Severance 
James  Trussell 
"William  Danford 
Benja  Asten 
Moses  Gerrish 
Noah  Little 
Jona  Knight 
Samuel  Corser 
Benja  Severance 
David  Burbauk, 


71 


David  Carter 
In  the  year  1777,  there  jirobahly  were  not  more  tlian  ten  legal 
voters  west  of  Beaver-da:n.     In  thirteen  years  the  number  had  in- 
creased to  seventy-one — so  rapid  was  the  advancement.     The  cir- 


1791.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  139 

culation  of  the  petition,  the  unanimity  with  which  it  was  signed, 
alarmed  the  citizens  of  the  east  section,  who  did  not  wish  to  see 
the  town  divided.  A  town-meeting  was  called,  wdiich  was  held 
April  26,  and  James  Flanders,  Ebenezer  Webster,  and  Luke 
Wilder  were  appointed  a  committee  to  select  a  site  for  a  new 
meeting-house.  These  are  the  names  of  non-residents.  Eben- 
ezer Webster  was  Judge  Webster  of  Salisbury,  father  of  Daniel 
and  Ezekiel. 

It  was  voted  that  the  frame  be  raised,  and  the  pews  sold  durino- 
the  year. 

At  a  meeting  held  Sept,  17th,  it  was  voted  "  that  the  bigness 
of  the  frame  be  the  same  as  that  built  by  the  town  in  the  easterly 
part  thereof." 

In  the  Webster  town-house,  as  it  was  before  the  east  and  west 
porches  were  removed,  we  have  the  counterpart  of  the  build- 
ing Avhich  once  stood  near  the  burial-place  in  Boscawen.  The 
committee  reported  at  a  meeting  held  Oct.  17th.  It  is  not 
known  what  locality  had  been  selected  by  them,  but  their  report 
was  rejected,  and  the  following  vote  passed  : 

THE    SITE    OF    THE    MEETIXG-HOUSE. 

[From  the  records.] 
''  it  was  put  to  vote  if  said  Town  would  Accept  the  Place  to  Set  the 
Xew  Meeting  House  on  which  is  Now  under  Cousideration  on  the  East 
Side  of  Blackwater  or  as  near  the  corner  of  Mr.  Cogswills  land  ia  a 
Hew  Phice  of  Stubble  Ground,  voted  in  the  affirmative. 

"Voted  that  a  meeting  house  Frame  be  built  at  The  Charge  of  the 
town.'- 

Mr.  Samuel  Jackman  contracted  to  furnish  the  frame  for  ^94. 
So  satisfactorily  was  the  contract  fulfilled,  that  the  town  voted 
him  f  16.68  additional. 

RAISIXG    THE    MEETIXG-HOUSE. 

The  raising  of  a  meeting-house  was  a  great  event,  and  peo- 
ple came  from  the  surrounding  towns  to  aid  in  the  work.  They 
came  early  in  the  morning,  with  pike-poles  and  pitch-forks  and 
iron  bars, — pike-poles  and  pitch-forks  to  lift  with  when  the  "  broad- 
side "  should  be  well  up  in  the  air,  and  iron  bars  to  hold  against  the 
foot  of  the  posts  to  slide  them  into  the  mortises  of  the  sills.     On 


140  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1791. 

sucli  an  occasion  there  was  plenty  of  rum.  Tlie  first  thing  to  be 
done  was  to  take  a  drink,  to  give  strength  for  the  labor  of  the 
day.  Then  came  the  bringing  together  of  the  timbers.  The 
sills  were  already  laid  and  levelled.  First  the  posts,  then  the 
girts  and  levers,  and  lastly  the  plates. 

It  had  been  framed  by  the  "  scribe  "  rule — each  piece  being  fitted 
to  its  place.  The  "square"  rule  was  then  unknown  to  country 
carpenters.  The  broadside  was  then  pinned  together.  Then 
came  the  drinking  of  more  rum,  and  the  marshaling  of  the  crowd, — 
the  cool-headed  men  hold  of  the  iron  bars,  the  strong  and  experi- 
enced men  in  places  of  responsibility.  When  all  were  ready,  the 
master  workman,  standing  in  rear  where  he  could  see  all  that  was 
going  on,  commanded  silence.     We  hear  him  say, — 

"  Are  you  ready  all  ?  " 

"Aye!  aye!" 

"  Take  hold  all !  " 

The  men  bend,  and  place  their  shoulders  beneath  the  posts.     A  *" 
swarm  take  hold  of  the  plate,  another  hold  of  the  girts.     The  men 
at  the  iron  bars  spit  on  their  hands  : 

"  Now,  then  !  " 

The  frame  rises. 

"'  Heave  away,  my  hearties  !  " 

It  is  up  to  their  shoulders. 

"Now  she  rises  !  " 

Those  by  the  plates  seize  their  pike-poles  and  pitch-forks. 

At  each  corner  and  in  the  middle  are  "  shores,"  with  a  crowd*of 
men  and  boys  lifting  on  each. 

"  Heigh  0  !  my  hearties  !  " 

They  lift  with  all  their  might,  and  grow  rod  in  the  face.  The 
pike-poles  bend,  the  handles  of  the  pitch-forks  are  ready  to  snap. 

"  Steady  there !  " 

Now  comes  the  tug  of  war  at  the  foot  of  the  posts.  The  iron- 
bar  men  are  bracing  with  all  their  might. 

"  Heave-ho  !  "  from  the  master. 

"  Now  she  goes  ! "  from  the  men. 

Higher,  still  higher,  up  to  the  perpendicular.  The  tenons  slide 
into  the  mortises  in  the  sills,  the  "  shore  "  men  hold  back  on  the 
poles,  and  the  first  broadside  of  the  house  of  God  stands  in  its  ap- 
pointed place.    The  men  wijie  their  brows,  and  take  another  drink 


Town  House,  Webster. 


1791.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  141 

of  rum.  There  is  a  congratulatory  dram  all  around,  in  jDrepara- 
tion  for  the  opposite  broadside.  That,  too,  rises.  Then  come 
the  connecting  girts  and  plates,  and  then  the  lifting  of  the  beams 
for  the  galleries,  and  the  high  beams,  the  j:)utting  up  of  sleepers, 
j)lanks  and  boards,  rafters  and  purlins,  and,  last  of  all,  the  rido-e- 
pole.  When  the  last  is  in  its  place,  a  crowd  of  men  sit  astride  it, 
take  full  drams  from  the  bottles  of  rum  passed  up  to  them,  and 
then  dash  the  bottles  to  the  ground.  This  last  is  the  dedicatory 
dram. 

Such  the  scene  on  that  day. 

So  complete  were  the  arrangements,  so  excellent  the  workman- 
ship of  Samuel  Jackman,  so  numerous  the  men,  so  early  at  work  in 
the  morning  were  they,  that  the  first  broadside  was  up  before 
nine  o'clock,  the  last  dram  drank  before  noon,  and  the  raisin^ 
■was  over. 

Thomas  Coffin,  a  boy  of  fourteen  at  the  time,  remembers  the 
occasion  as  one  of  the  great  events  of  his  boyhood. 

The  amount  of  rum  drank  at  the  raising  is  seen  from  the  se- 
lectmen's book : 

"  Paid  for  rum  to  raise  the  New  Meeting  House  £3 — 17 —  2  '' 

—nearly  $20. 

FESTIVITIES. 

In  the  evening,  after  the  frame  of  the  meeting-house  was  raised, 
the  young  men  repaired  to  the  house  now  owned  by  Henry  L. 
Dodge,  where  the  girls,  who  had  been  lookers-on  at  the  raising, 
were  assembled.  The  town  had  provided  a  generous  supply  of 
food  and  liquors,  and  all  hands  after  supper  joined  in  a  grand 
dance,  which  was  kept  up  till  past  midnight. 

The  pews  were  set  up,  and  sold,  and  the  proceeds  applied  to  fin- 
ishing the  house. 

"  No  1  Benjamin  Sweatt  $28 

2  Eliphalet  Kilburn  29 

3  Samuel  Jackman  22 

4  Ezekiel  Flandei's  16 

5  Henry  Gerrisli  29 

6  eJohn  Jarrokl  38 

7  Samuel  Morse  35 

8  Joseph  Gerrish  31 


142  CIVIL   HISTORY.  [1791. 


19     Friend  Little 

$21 

10     Benjamin  Stickney 

35 

11     Thomas  Thorla 

44 

12     Joseph  Cass 

61 

13     David  Corser 

48 

14     Caleb  Knight 

45 

15     Benja  Little 

34 

16     Kathau  Kilborn 

21 

17     Dr  Cutting  Noyes 

34 

18     Silas  Call 

35 

19     John  Corser 

36 

20     Benjamin  Couch 

33t^ 

21     Jonathan  Thurston 

24i 

22     Samuel  Morse 

35 

23     Moses  Coffin 

40 

24     Minister 

25     David  Burbank 

43 

26     John  Flanders 

34 

27     Jeremiah  Gerrish 

33 

28     Benja  Jackman 

38 

29     Nicholas  Severance 

52 

30     Moses  Calef 

43 

31     Joseph  Atkinson 

34-^ 

32     Daniel  Pillsbury 

m 

33     Enos  Flanders 

37 

34     Enoch  Little 

52 

Gallery. 

No 

1     Edmund  Chad  wick 

$30 

2     Jonathan  Thurston 

11 

3     Benjamin  Knowlton 

16* 

4     Enoch  Gerrish  &  John  Flandera 

22 

5     Peter  Kimball 

17* 

6     Joshua  Jackman 

11 

7     Benjamin  Cass 

14 

8     David  Call 

22 

9     Edmund  Chadwick 

21 

10     James  Corser 

21 

11     David  Corser 

21 

12     Benjamin  Austin 

20 

13     John  Jarrold 

30J 

14    Benja  Choate 

14 

1792.]  CIVIL   HISTORY.  143 

15  Samuel  Jackman  ^^  $12 

16  John  Jerrold  13^ 

17  Friend  Little  is' 

18  John  Manuel  18 

19  Nathaniel  Thurston  14 

20  Daniel  Shepard  11 

21  John  Jarrold  30| 

22  Moses  Call  24 

23  David  Carter  24 " 

POST     ROUTES. 

The  legislature,  at  its  session  this  year,  established  four  post 
routes  through  the  state. 

"The  first  begining  at  Concord  thence  to  proceed  through  Weare, 
New  Boston,  Amherst,  Wilton,  Temple,  Peterborough,  Dublin,  Marl- 
borough, Keen,  Westmoreland,  Walpole,  Alstead,  Acv/orth,  Charles- 
town,  Clareraont,  Newport,  Lenipster,  Washington,  Hillsborough,  Hen- 
niker,  Hopkinton  to  Concord. 

"The  second  from  Concord  to  Boscawen,  Salisbury,  Anslover,  New 
Chester,  Pl^'mouth,  Haverhill,  Piermont,  Orford,  Lymf,  Hanover,  Leb- 
anon, Enfield,  Canaan,  Grafton,  Alexandria,  Salisbury  to  Concord." 

The  other  two  connected  the  towns  in  the  eastern  part  of 
the  state  with  Concord  and  Portsmouth.  Each  post-rider  was 
required  to  perform  his  route  weekly,  extraordinary  circum- 
stances excepted.  The  riders  on  the  first  and  second  routes 
were  paid  twelve  pounds  each.  They  were  required  to  reverse 
their  alternate  trips.  The  postage  on  single  letters  was  fixed  at 
six  pence  for  forty  miles,  and  four  pence  for  any  distance  less  than 
forty.  Once  a  week,  therefore,  the  citizens  of  Boscawen  could 
send  a  letter  to  other  sections  of  the  state  on  the  route  of  the 
rider ;  but  if  directed  to  a  town  on  one  of  the  other  routes,  from 
six  to  twelve  days  would  be  the  time  required. 

1792.  The  town,  at  its  annual  meeting  in  March,  voted  to  sell 
the  parsonage  lands,  and  put  the  money  at  interest.  The  sales 
amounted  to  $918.  The  money  was  loaned  to  the  town,  and  the 
interest  devoted  to  the  support  of  a  minister. 

The  constitution  of  New  Hampshire  having  been  revised,  it 
was  submitted  to  the  town  at  a  special  meeting,  held  August  27, 
and  adopted  by  the  citizens. 


144  CIVIL    HISTORY,  [1792. 

LIBEKALITY    OF    REV.    MR.    WOOD. 

Rev.  Mr.  Wood,  liaving  the  advancement  of  the  town  in  view,  es- 
pecially in  the  matter  of  education,  generously  proffered  the  town 
the  interest  from  the  parsonage  fund,  amounting  to  $44,  to  be 
applied  to  the  schools.  The  town  returned  a  cordial  vote  of 
thanks. 

Mr.  Wood's  efforts  to  j)romote  the  advancement  of  the  com- 
munity were  also  directed  to  the  foundation  of  a  library.  He  was 
seconded  in  his  efforts  by  several  gentlemen.  The  subscription 
paper  is  as  below  : 

THE    FIRST    LIBRARY. 

"  We  the  subscribers  hereby  promise  to  pay  tlie  sums  respectfully 
set  against  our  names  To  Henry  Gerrish  Esqi-  for  llie  purpose  of  pur- 
chasing a  Library  (for  the  use  of  said  subscribers)  in  three  months 
from  this  date  as  witness  our  hands. 
'•August  the  S"'  1791. 

"  Nathaniel  Green  12  s 

John  Chandler  12  " 

Enoch  Gerrish  12" 

Joseph  Gerrish  12  '' 

Joseph  Atkinson  Jr  12  " 

Jeremiah  Gerrish  12  " 

Joseph  Lunt  12" 

George  Jackraan  12" 

Samuel  Fowler  12" 

Isaac  Chandler  12" 

Joseph  Clough  12" 

Theodore  Atkinson  12" 

S -ml  Gerrish  12" 

David  Peterson  Jr  12  " 

Paul  Clark  12  " 

David  Corser  12  " 

Moses  Coffin  12  " 

It  will  be  interesting  to  know  what  class  of  literature  was  se- 
lected by  the  men  of  the  time ;  and  the  catalogue,  as  published 
twenty  years  later,  we  give  in  full,  for  it  was  this  library  which 
Daniel  Webster  devoured  while  studying  with  Rev.  Mr.  Wood. 

"  A  catalogue  of  books  in  the  Boscawen  Social  Library,  alphabetically 
arranged  under  the  following  heads,  Theological,  Historical,  and 
Miscellaneous.  By  a  vote  of  the  Proprietors,  Oct.  7,  1811.  Concord: 
Printed  by  George  Hough.     1811. 


•^^^-•J  CIVIL   HISTORY. 

BOSCAWEN  SOCIAL  LIBRARY. 

THEOLOGICAL. 

"  Adams'  View  of  Religions 
American  Preacher,  4  vols. 
Baxter's  Call  to  the  Uncouverted 
Bethkol 

Benevolence  and  Misery  reconciled 
Boston's  Fourfold  State 
Communicant's  Companion 
Edwards  against  Chauncy 

■ on  Redemption 

on  Religious  Affections 

Evidences  of  the  Christian  Religion 
Flavel's  Husbandry  Spiritualized" 

■  Navigation        ditto 

Fuller's  Letters 

Gospel  Sonnets 

Hervey's  Meditations 

Henry  on  Prayer 

Hopkins'  System,  2  vols. 

Holy  War,  (Bunyan's) 

Knox's  Essays,  2  vols. 

Law's  Serious  Call 

Lowth  on  Isaiah 

Mendham  Evidences 

Mason  on  Self-Knowledge 

Neckar  on  Religion 

Newton  on  the  Prophecies,  2  vols. 

Owen  on  Sin 

Pilgrim's  Progress,  (Bunyan's) 

Prayer  Book 

Remarks  on  Clapp 

Rise  and  Progress  (Doddridge's) 

Rutherford's  Letters 

Sherlock  on  Death 

Smith  on  the  Prophecies 

Sermons,  collected 

Blair's,  2  vols. 

Davies',  2  vols. 

Edwards' 


145 


10 


—  Morse's 

—  Parsons',  2  vols. 


146  CIVIL   HISTORY,  [1792. 

Sermons,  Sauriu's 

Whitefleld's 

Fordyce's,  to  Young  Men 

. .       to  Young  women 

■ Strong's 

•  Village,  3  vols. 

Spaulding's  Lectures 

Token  for  Mourners 

Watts'  Glory  of  Christ 

Worcester  on  Future  Punishment 

West's  Moral  Agency 

Wilberforce's  View  of  Religion 

Young's  Night  Thoughts.  65. 

HISTORICAL. 

Adams'  Modern  Voyages 
Beauties  of  History,  2  vols. 
Belknap's  New-IIampshire,  3  vols. 
Carver's  Universal  Traveller 
Carver's  Travels  in  North  America 
Conquest  of  Canaan 
Cook's  Voyages,  4  vols. 
Gordon's  American  War,  3  vols. 
Guthrie's  Geography 
History  of  England 

•    Josephus,  6  vols. 

Irwin's  Travels 
Life  of  Christ 

Brainard 

Edwards 

Life   of   Franklin 

Col.  Gardner 

Joseph 

Washington,  5  vols. 

Baron  Trenck 

Modern  Antichrist 
Morse's  Geography,  2  vols. 
New  England  Farmer 
Proofs  of  a  Conspiracy 
Ramsay's  Amer.  Revolution,  2  vola. 
Eollin's  Ancient  History,  10  vols. 
Residence  in  France 
Robertson's  America,  4  vols. 


1792.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  147 

Universal  History,  4  Vols. 

Woll's  History  of  the  Martyrs,  2  vols.  —GO. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

Arabian  Night's  Entertainment,  3  vols. 

Beccaria  on  Crimes 

Blair's  Morals 

Cato's  Letters 

Controversial  Letters 

Clerk's  Magazine 

Cowper's  Poems 

Cowper's  Task 

Coquette 

Death  of  Abel 

Dictionary  of  Arts  &  Sciences,  4  vols. 

Domestic  JMedicine  (Buchan's) 

Don  Quixot,  4  vols. 

Economy  of  Human  Life 

Emma  Corbett,  2  vols. 

Esop's  Fables 

Family  Instructor 
Female  American 

Ferguson's  Astronomy 
Fool  of  Quality,  5  vols. 
Foresters 

Goldsmith's  Essays 

Gospel  Tragedy 

Laws  of  New  Hampshire 

Letters  on  Courtship 

Lyric  Poems 

Moral  Repository 

Moral  and  Religious  ditto 

Murray's  Reader 

Paradise  Lost  (Milton's) 

Regained 

Pilgrim  Good-Intent 
Polite  Preceptor 
Pope's  Works,  6  vols. 
Religious  Tradesman 
Romance  of  the  Forest 
Salem   Witchcraft 
Seneca's  Morals 


148  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1794. 

Spectator,  8  vols. 
Thompson's  Seasons 
Vicar  of  wakefield 
Watts  on  the  Mind 

Logic 

Younff  Gentleman's  Instructor  —72 


The  whole  number  of  volumes  203 

The  present  number  of  Proprietors  71 

The  Society  was  founded  February  7,  1792. 
And  was  incorporated  November  30,  1797." 
1793.     The  following  taverners  were  liscensed  to  sell  spirituous 
liquors  during  the  year,  showing  that  the  public  were  accommo- 
dated with  at  least  four  hotels  : 

Simeon  Atkinson  and  Col.  Henry  Gerrish  on  Fish  street,  Capt. 
Thomas  Choat  on  High  street,  and  Winthrop  Carter,  in  the  house 
now  occupied  by  Nathaniel  Webster,  on  the  Plain. 
Timothy  Dix,  a  store-keeper,  was  also  licensed. 
The  annual  town-meeting  was  held  for  the  first  time  at  the 
w^est  meeting-house. 

FROM    THE    SELECTMEX'S    BOOKS. 

"  paid  Joseph  Little  for  a  School  House  on  Corser  Hill        7—16—  0 
paid  W™  Danford  for  a  school  Dame  Bashan  1—  0—  3  " 

This  is  the  first  mention  of  Bashan — a  locality  containing  at 
the  time  Benj.  Severance,  Wm.  Danford,  Moses  Gerrish,  and  per- 
haps two  or  three  other  families. 

FIRST     STORE    IN    WEB.STER. 

The  first  store  ever  kept  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Webster 
was  opened  during  the  year,  by  Samuel  Gookin,  in  a  house  that 
stood  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  residence  of  George  Little, 
Esq.,  on  Corser  hill. 

BUILDING    OF    SCHOOL-HOUSES. 

1794.  The  inhabitants  of  Boscawen  manifested  a  determina- 
tion to  establish  their  schools  on  a  permanent  basis.  Up  to  this 
time  there  were  probably  not  more  than  four  school-houses  in  the 


1795.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  149 

town,  and  an  energetic  committee  was  appointed,  consisting  of 
Henry  Gerrisli,  Xatlianiel  Green,  David  Corser,  Thomas  Thorla, 
Silas  Call,  and  Capt.  Peter  Kimball,  who,  with  the  selectmen, 
were  to  divide  the  town  into  as  many  districts  as  they  might 
judge  were  necessary ;  that  each  district  have  the  liberty  of  locat- 
ing its  school-house,  which  should  be  built  at  the  expense  of  the 
town  ;  that  such  houses  as  were  already  built  should  be  appraised, 
and  allowance  made  accordingly.  The  committee  established 
eight  districts. 

THE    GRKAT    FROST. 

The  spring  of  1794  was  very  forward,  but  on  the  17th  of  May 
occiirred  what  was  called  the  "  great  frost "  throughout  the  coun- 
try, which  destro3"ed  the  grain  crop  for  the  year  ; — but,  as  reported 
by  Mr.  Price,  it  also  destroyed  the  canker-worms,  which  had  been 
destructive  to  vegetation. 

TROUBLE    WITH    EXGLAXD. 

Nov.  10.  The  town,  in  response  to  a  call  from  the  general  gov- 
ernment, appointed  a  committee  "to  devise  ways  &  means  for 
procuring  the  soldiers  called  for." 

The  laAvlessness  of  England,  in  committing  depredations  upon 
American  commerce  while  at  war  with  France,  was  the  occasion 
for  this  action  in  preparing  for  a  war  with  the  mother  countr}^  It 
was  voted  to  pay  soldiers  eight  dollars  per  month,  including  the 
pay  from  the  federal  government,  to  provide  them  with  a  suitable 
outfit  of  clothing,  and  a  good  blanket.  No  soldiers,  however,  were 
called  for. 

An  aqueduct — probably  the  first  in  town — was  laid  during  the 
year,  conveying  water  from  the  house-lot  laid  out  to  the  right  of 
the  houses  of  Samuel  Sweatt  and  Henry  Kingsbury,  to  the  houses 
of  Timothy  Dix,  Daniel  Carter,  Samuel  Morrill,  and  Joseph  Ger- 
risli.    The  water  was  conveyed  in  logs. 

1795.  The  town  voted  to  build  a  new  pound,  near  Capt.  Peter 
Kimball's,  on  Water  street.  It  was  built  of  stone,  and  is  still  in 
existence. 

IXCREASE    OF    TAVERNS. 

At  this  period,  there  was  a  stream  of  emigration  to  the  north- 
ern section  of  the  state,  and  to  Vermont.     On  the  other  hand,  the 


150  CIVIL   HISTORY.  [1796. 

markets  were  on  the  seaboard,  and  the  whole  country  seemed  to 
be  in  motion, — settlers  going  north,  and  farmers  Avho  had  made  a 
start  in  the  world  going  south.  Numerous  taverns  were  estab- 
lished. In  the  section  of  the  town  west  of  Beaver-dam  brook, 
there  were  three — one  kept  by  Benjamin  Couch,  another  by 
James  Little,  on  Battle  street, — the  latter  in  the  house  now  oc- 
cupied by  George  Sanborn, — and  one  kept  by  Jonathan  Corser, 
in  the  house  now  occupied  by  Franklin  Shepherd. 

The  inventory  of  the  town  for  the  year  was  made  out  for  the 
first  time  in  federal  currency.  The  selectmen's  accounts,  how- 
ever, for  this  and  the  succeeding  year,  were  in  pounds,  shillings, 
and  pence.  From  1797  the  old  currency  disappears  from  the  rec- 
ords. 

PEOPRIETOKS'    MEETING. 

1796.  The  proprietors  of  the  town  were  called  together  at  the 
instance  of  Col.  Henry  Gerrish,  who  was  appointed  their  agent 
to  petition  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts  for  a  township  of 
land.  Tlie  ground  of  the  petition  was  the  fact  that  the  legisla- 
ture of  Massachusetts  had  already  made  grants  of  land  to  towns 
which,  on  the  establishing  of  the  line  betAveen  Massachusetts  and 
New  Hampshire,  were  assigned  to  New  Hampshire,  although  they 
desired  to  remain  with  Massachusetts.  Col.  Gerrish  undertook 
the  agency  at  his  own  expense,  he  to  have  one  half  of  the  territory 
granted  if  his  mission  was  successful.  He  spent  much  time  and 
money,  and  apparently  made  out  a  strong  case,  but  did  not  suc- 
ceed in  obtaining  a  grant. 

THE    TRANSITION    PERIOD. 

The  period  from  1795  to  1800  was  characterized  by  lawlessness 
throughout  the  country.  It  was  a  transition  period.  The  coun- 
try was  in  an  unsettled  state.  The  success  of  the  French  Revolu- 
tion,— of  license  over  liberty ;  the  sj)read  of  the  infidelity  of  the 
times ;  the  circulation  of  Paine's  "  Age  of  Reason,''  and  the  writ- 
ings of  Voltaire  ;  the  political  status  of  the  country  ;  the  war  spirit 
which  had  been  fanned  almost  to  a  flame,  and  which  had  been 
only  partially  allayed  by  Jay's  treaty  ;  the  revolt  against  the  the- 
ological dogmas  of  the  time, — all  combined  to  make  it  a  turbulent 
period.     Boscawen  was  not  exempt  from  the  general  disturbance. 


179G.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  151 

There  were  frequent  breaches  of  the  public  peace  by  a  band  of 
confederates ;  private  as  well  as  public  property  was  destroyed,  wan- 
tonly, and  with  malice  ;  horses  were  disabled ;  bee-benches  rifled ; 
apple-trees  girdled ;  wagons,  carts,  and  farming  implements  dam- 
aged. Some  of  the  perpetrators  were  apprehended,  and  brought 
before  the  courts.  During  the  Revolutionary  War,  there  had  been 
a  number  of  individuals  who  bad  manifested  no  sympathy  with 
the  cause  of  liberty,  and  who  were  regarded  as  tories.  Though  no 
arrests  had  been  made  in  town,  they  had  been  closely  watched  by 
the  patriotic  citizens,  and  had  been  under  social  restraints. 
Later,  they  had  opposed  the  adoption  of  the  federal  constitution ; 
and  now  a  mistake  on  the  part  of  the  selectmen,  for  the  year  1795, 
had  enabled  them  to  enlist  public  opinion  against  the  established 
order  of  things. 

In  1794,  the  selectmen  of  the  town  received  no  precept  for  a 
county  tax  prior  to  the  making  out  of  the  other  taxes,  and  no  tax 
was  laid ;  but  before  the  expiration  of  the  year  the  precept  was 
received,  and  the  selectmen  had  no  alternative  except  to  advance 
the  money  on  their  own  account.  Anticipating  the  same  state  of 
affairs  the  following  year  (1795),  Capt.  Joseph  Gerrish,  Enoch  Lit- 
tle, and  George  Jackman,  Esq.,  levied  the  usual  tax  in  advance  of 
the  receipt  of  a  requisition,  which  never  came.  The  result  was, 
that  several  discontented  spirits  refused  to  pay  the  tax,  or,  having 
paid  it,  sued  for  recovery. 
Those  suing  were, — 

"  tax  sued  for 
Enoch  Eastman  .14  cts 

Asa  Conner  .28 

Samuel  Roby  .71 

Timothy  Eastman  1.38 

John  Gerold  1.2G 

Philip  Barnard  .53 

David  Carter  1.22 

James  Little  •        1.71 

Eliphalet  Little  .99 

Moses  Jackman  .31 

Ephraim  Noyes  .35 

Pearson  Eastman  .28 

Stephen  Corser  .51 

Jonathan  Corser  2.10 


152  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1797. 

Benjamin  Cass  .91 

Tristam  Barnard  .71 

Benj  Rolfe  2.57 

Silas  Rolfe  .94 
Silas  Call 
Samuel  Gookin  " 

The  selectmen  paid  the  tax  from  their  own  purses.  The  politi- 
cal antagonism  was  so  intense,  that  all  sense  of  justice  and  equity 
seemed  to  he  stifled.  No  reimhursement  was  ever  made.  It  is 
the  one  solitary  instance  in  the  history  of  the  town  where  a  great 
injustice  ,was  suffered  to  go  unrectified. 

SEPARATION    OF    CHURCH   AXD    STATE. 

1797.  The  proprietors  of  Boscawen,  at  the  outset,  had  respected 
the  conscientious  scruples  of  one  of  their  number — Samuel  Fowler — 
in  regard  to  supporting  the  minister.  The  principle  adhered  to 
by  him  had  taken  firm  hold  of  the  community,  and  many  men 
saw  that  it  was  unjust  to  comj^el  a  man  to  support  a  minister 
whose  theological  teachings  he  did  not  accept.  The  time  Avas  ap- 
proaching for  a  new  order  of  things.  After  the  death  of  Mr. 
Fowler,  people  without  exception  paid  their  taxes  for  the  sup- 
port of  a  minister ;  but  during  this  year  Mr.  Silas  Call  entered 
his  protest. 

[From  the  Records.] 

*'  This  may  certify  that  I  am  determined  not  to  pay  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Wood  for  preaching  after  this  date  for  I  cannot  join  him  in  his  profes- 
sion sentiments  or  profession — therefore  you  are  requested  to  record 
my  protest  against  the  same. 

"May  22'!  1797  Silas  Call." 

The  protest  of  Mr.  Call  was  an  ex2:)ression  of  a  rapidly  growing 
feeling  that  the  time  had  come  for  a  separation  of  church  and 
state.  Other  citizens  manifested  their  opposition  to  the  existing 
order  of  things  in  disorderly  ways.  There  were  those  who  utterly 
disregarded  all  religion,  and  who  showed  their  dislike  by  break- 
ing the  windows  in  the  new  meeting-house  (in  Webster),  by 
nailing  up  the  pulpit  door,  the  doors  of  the  pews,  and  in  the  de- 
filement of  the  pulpit  and  pews,  especially  those  belonging  to  cit- 
izens active  in  town  and  society  affairs.    The  houses  being  in  part 


1798.] 


CIVIL    HISTORY.  153 


the  property  of  tlie  town,  action  was  at  once  taken.  "Warrants  were 
issued  for  the  arrest  of  tln-ee  or  four  lawless  individuals,  who  were 
put  under  bonds  to  keep  the  peace. 

BUKiSriNG    OF    THE    EAST    MEETING-HOUSE. 

1798.  On  the  night  of  ^February  22d,  the  East  meeting-house 
was  burned  by  an  incendiary.  At  the  annual  meeting,  in  March^ 
the  town  appointed  Col.  Henry  Gerrish,  Nathaniel  Green,  Esq. 
and  John  Chandler  "  to  prosecute  all  such  persons  who  have  or 
shall  commit  any  trespass  on  either  of  the  public  houses  or  high- 
ways or  done  any  other  public  damage." 

The  real  incendiary  was  probably  a  non-resident.  That  there 
were  citizens  who  were  accessories  to  the  crime  is  altogether  prob- 
able ;  but  the  chain  of  circumstantial  evidence  was  not  strong 
enough  to  warrant  an  arrest. 

Measures  were  taken  to  erect  another  building,  on  another  site. 
A  committee,  composed  of  citizens  from  adjoining  towns,  reported 
in  favor  of  a  site  on  the  Woodbury  plain,  a  half  mile  east  of  the 
former  building.  The  town  did  not  choose  to  locate  it  there. 
Several  other  localities  were  selected,  and  rejected  in  turn.  Ere 
long,  it  became  manifest  that  a  majority  of  the  citizens  would  not 
vote  to  build  a  house  of  worship. 

A  proposition  to  allow  six  or  more  persons  to  erect  a  meeting- 
house at  their  own  expense,  and  to  accept  the  same  as  a  town- 
house,  was  voted  down.     Further  action  was  postponed. 

It  was  next  voted  that  the  selectmen  be  instructed  to  abate  the 
ministerial  tax  of  any  person  who  requested  it,  "  which  in  their 
judgment  all  things  considered  shall  appear  to  them  best  to  be 
done." 

BURNING    OF    WATER     STREET    SCHOOL-HOUSE. 

The  school-house  on  Water  street  was  destroyed  by  fire  on  the 
8th  of  April.     It  was  an  incendiary  act. 

There  had  been  some  disaffection  over  its  location  ;  but  the 
burning  of  the  edifice  was  regarded  as  an  outbreak  against  law 
and  order,  which  must  be  stopped.  There  was  a  sudden  reaction 
of  public  sentiment.  The  citizens  manifested  their  disapproba- 
tion so  unmistakably,  that  some  of  the  restless  spirits  were  com- 
pelled to  leave  town  to  escape  arrest,  while  others  were  put  on 


154  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1798. 

tlieir  good  beliavior  by  the  action  of  the  town  in  securing  indem- 
nity by  civil  process. 

During  this  troublesome  period,  the  malice  of  those  regardless 
of  law  was  directed,  seemingly  without  reason,  against  particular 
individuals  in  the  communit3^  Those  who  followed  the  even 
tenor  of  their  ways,  as  well  as  those  who  were  prominent  in 
directing  public  affairs,  suffered  at  the  hands  of  the  lawless. 

Mr.  David  Corser,  who  lived  on  Corser  hill,  in  the  house  now 
occupied  by  Mr.  Tilton,  was  especially  annoyed.  His  cattle  were 
mutilated,  and  his  house  fired  into  at  night,  the  bullet  lodging  in 
the  roof.  Mr.  Corser  invoked  the  protection  of  the  law,  and  sev- 
eral parties  were  arraigned. 

A  deposition  before  the  court  is  given,  as  illustrative  of  the 
spirit  of  lawlessness  prevalent  at  that  time  : 

"  I  John  Corser  of  lawful  age  testifieth  &  saith  that  some  time  the 
fore  part  of  the  last  winter  past,  I  was  in  David  Corser's  yard  &  saw 
his  turkeys  as  he  called  them  with  their  toes  cut  off  a  bleeding  on  the 
snow  &  he  told  me  somebody  had  cut  them  off." 

LAST    EFFORTS    TO    OBTAIN    A    MEETING-HOUSE. 

Once  more,  those  who  wanted  a  meeting-house  proposed  Wood- 
bur}^  plain  as  a  site,  which  was  again  rejected.  The  proposition 
was  made  to  build  on  the  old  spot.  The  result  was  a  tie  vote, — 
70  in  favor,  and  TO  against.  Then  the  advocates  for  a  new  house 
proposed  to  have  it  erected  in  the  centre  of  the  town,  which  was 
rejected  by  a  decisive  majority. 

Another  proposition  was  made,  '^  that  one  half  of  the  meetings 
for  public  worship  should  be  on  the  jilain  on  King  street  at  such 
a  place  as  they  [the  selectmen]  shall  provide  till  a  new  meeting 
house  be  built." 

At  this  juncture,  the  meeting-going  citizens  of  the  town  wisely 
decided  to  make  no  further  efforts  to  secure  the  erection  of  an  edi- 
fice by  the  town ;  and  those  living  in  the  easterly  section  united 
in  building  a  meeting-house  at  the  head  of  King  street — the 
original  of  the  present  edifice. 

The  time  had  come  for  a  new  order  of  things.  By  the  adop- 
tion of  the  federal  constitution,  all  such  political  union  as  had  ex- 
isted from  the  first  settlement  of  the  country,  between  church  and 
state,  was  virtually  abrogated.    The  non-recognition  of  religion  as 


1798.]  CIVIL    HISTORY,  155 

having  aught  to  do  with  the  state,  had  hecome  an  unwritten  Law. 
The  state  laws  relating  to  parishes  were  not  modified  till  a  subse- 
quent j^eriod :  but  in  this  year  (1797)  there  was  a  virtual  sever- 
ance of  church  and  state  in  Boscawen. 

The  school-house  difficulty,  on  Water  street,  was  settled  by  the 
people  of  the  district.  They  proposed  the  erection  of  two  houses, — 
one  to  accommodate  the  north  end,  and  the  other  the  south  end, — 
the  school  to  be  taught  alternately  in  each  house.  The  north 
school-house  was  erected  where  it  now  stands  ;  the  south  house 
stood  where  the  first  school-house  in  town,  probably,  was  erected — 
on  the  west  side  of  Water  street,  north  of  Mr.  Bradley  Atkinson's. 
The  site  may  still  be  recognized.  The  building  was  subsequently 
purchased  by  Moses  Coffin,  and  removed  to  his  farm,  where  it  was 
occupied  as  a  cooper's  shop,  and  afterwards  as  a  blacksmith's  shop. 
It  was  demolished  in  1874. 

PRICES    OF    rilODUCE    AND    LABOR. 

The  prices  of  farm  produce  and  labor  will  be  seen  by  the  follow- 
ing extracts  from  the  account-book  of  Dea.  Enoch  Little,  who  was 
selectman  in  1795-96  : 

"John  Jackman  joiner  to  Enoch  Little  1790.  Dr 

£.      S.       D. 
Nov  10*     To  1  bushel  wheat  0—  8—  0 

To  a  bushel  rye  5 —  4 

Dec  G">       To  one  quarter  1 —  4 —  0 
To  butter  &  tub  37  lbs  30  which  I  expect  is 

butter  1 —  5 —  0 
1797. 

Apr  28"i     To  150  lbs  pork  &  carrying  it  to  you  3 —  6 —  0 

May  18'h     To  6  lbs  butter  at  9  pence  0—  4—  6 

30       To  33  lbs  veal  at  3^  pence  9—  7 

To  2  casks  of  lime  3—  0—  0 

To  46  lbs  mutton  at  2  pence  7 —  8 

Feb  15"'     For  three  days  work  self  &  2  hands  1 —  8 —  6 

For  horse  2  days  8 —  0 

•  To  a  four  feet  table  1—10—  0 

To  a  clock  16—10—  0 

To  a  chest  with  one  drawer  1 —  5 —  0  " 

In  another  account  we  find  the  following  prices  : 

"  To  6  lbs  lard  at  8  p  0—4—0 

To  8  "  flax  at  11"  0—  7—  0 


156  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1798. 

To  2  bush  potatoes  0—  -1—  0 

To  i     "     beans  0—  3—  0 

To  i  yd  cotton  &  linen  cloth  0—  1—  2 

To  19  lbs  cheese  at  5p  0—  7—  6 

To  12  "   soap  grease  0 —  6 —  0 

To  2k  galls  molasses  0—12—  0 

To  18f  good  cheese  at  10  cents  SI, SB 
To  carrying  3  bblsof  pork  to  Newbury      S3,75  " 

In  the  account  with  Moses  Coffin,  tailor,  we  have  the  following 
prices : 

"  To  making  a  coat  &  cutting  a  waistcoat  &  breeches         0,87 
To  making  surtout  waistcoat  &  breeches  &  cutting  2  75 

To  making  a  jacket  &  trousers  for  Abraham  1,25 

To  calico  for  a  gown  4,17  " 

At  this  time,  and  for  many  years  later,  enrrency  was  reckoned 
in  pounds,  shillings,  and  pence.  The  silver  money  in  circulation 
was  either  English  or  Spanish  coinage.  Very  little  federal  cur- 
rency was  in  use.  The  foreign  coinage  held  its  place  for  the  first 
forty  years  of  the  jiresent  century,  and  though  the  keeping  of  ac- 
counts in  pounds  and  shillings  began  to  give  place  to  dollars  and 
cents  in  speech,  the  old  currency  still  held  its  own.  Merchants 
were  accustomed  to  mark  the  price  of  the  articles  in  British  cur- 
rency. Mr.  Hezekiah  Fellows,  trader  on  Corser  hill,  never  aban- 
doned the  practice,  hut  marked  all  his  goods  in  pounds,  shillings, 
and  pence,  to  the  day  of  his  death. 

One  of  the  incidents  of  the  period  was  the  action  of  two  men, 
who,  having  committed  a  trespass,  came  voluntarily  before  a  jus- 
tice of  the  peace,  and  were  fined. 

"  January  the  S"!  A.  D.  1800. 

"  Then  Humphrey  Carter  &  Thomas  Thoria  both  of  Boscawen  in  the 
county  of  Hillsborough  state  of  New  Hampshire  personally  came  before 
me  Nath'  Green  Esqr  one  of  the  Justices  of  Peace  for  said  county  & 
complained  of  themselves  for  being  guilty  of  a  breach  of  the  peace  in 
taking,  stealing  &  destroying  one  bee  hive  with  a  quantity  of  honey  in 
the  night  time  the  property  of  Joseph  Gerrish  E'^qr  at  said  Bfoscawen 
on  or  about  the  first  day  of  Sept  1790,  it  is  considered  by  me  the  said 
justice  after  hearing  the  above  confession  that  the  said  Carter  &  Thoria 
pay  a  fine  of  one  dollar  each  for  the  use  of  the  state  of  New  Hampshire 
for  being  guilty  of  a  breach  of  the  peace  in  so  doing,  which  fine  is  paid 
to  me  accordingly. 

"  Nath'  Green  jus  Peace." 


'^^t9yiec/n 


1800.] 


OHAPTEE   X. 

THE  FIRST  DECADE  OF  THE  CENTURY. 

^yHE  citizens  residing  at  the  east  end  of  the  town,  and  who 
^^  associated  themselves  together  for  the  erection  of  a  meeting- 
house, entered  upon  the  work  with  zeal.  The  building  was  begun 
in  1799,  and  completed  in  1800.  The  erection  of  this  edifice  by 
voluntary  subscription  brought  about  a  marked  change  in  the  busi- 
ness transacted  at  the  annual  and  special  meetings  of  the  town. 
One  bone  of  contention  was  buried  forever.  There  would  be  no 
more  discussions  of  the  vexed  question  of  meeting-houses.  From 
this  time  on  the  business  related  chiefly  to  the  election  of  neces- 
sary officers,  the  laying  out  of  roads,  and  the  appointment  of  com- 
mittees on  matters  which  the  selectmen  could  not  well  attend  to. 
The  civil  transactions,  from  1800  onward,  may  be  noticed  by  decades. 

The  determination  of  a  majority  of  the  inhabitants  to  have  little 
or  nothing  more  to  do  with  meeting-houses  is  seen  in  the  vote 
given  Sept.  16,  1799,  when  the  town  voted  "^not  to  accept  the 
proposition  of  the  new  society  to  pay  in  part  for  the  building  of 
the  frame." 

The  society  accepted  the  situation,  and  went  on  with  the  con- 
struction of  the  house. 

MEETING-HOUSE    OJiT   THE    PLAIN. 

The  building  stood  broadside  to  the  road,  with  a  tower,  steeple, 
and  spire  surmounting  the  porch  at  the  northern  end.  The  spire 
was  surmounted  by  a  wooden  weather-cock.  The  country  joiner 
who  fashioned  it  never  having  studied  the  rules  of  art,  the  cock 
was  not  regarded  as  a  fitting  adornment  to  the  edifice.  After  the 
completion  of  the  structure,  it  was  resolved  to  have  it  removed, 


158  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1800. 

and  a  gilded  vane  placed  upon  the  spire.  Mr.  William  Jackman, 
who  was  an  athlete  in  climbing,  volunteered  to  ascend  the  lightning- 
rod  from  the  belfry,  and  make  the  desired  change.  A  great  crowd 
assembled  to  witness  the  feat.  Mr.  Jackman  ascended  the  taper- 
ing spire  without  difficulty,  seated  himself  upon  the  golden  ball, 
removed  the  cock,  lowered  it  to  the  ground,  drew  up  the  vane  and 
fixed  it  in  its  place,  and  then  drew  up  a  bottle  of  rum,  took  a 
dram,  and  threw  the  empty  bottle  to  the  ground,  which,  to  the 
wonder  and  amazement  of  the  crowd,  did  not  break !  The  crowd 
manifested  their  appreciation  of  Mr.  Jackman's  exploit  by  fre- 
quent and  hearty  cheers. 

The  cock,  though  degraded  from  its  high  and  dignified  perch, 
had  a  longer  lease  of  service  than  the  vane.  That  disappeared  in 
1839,  when  the  house  was  remodelled,  while  the  cock  has  watched 
the  changes  of  the  wind,  daily  and  nightlj^,  through  all  these 
years,  as  it  now  does,  from  the  sign-post  of  S.  A.  Ambrose's  tav- 
ern. 

There  was  a  door  at  the  front  opening  to  the  broad  aisle,  and  a 
porch  at  the  south  end  with  stairs  leading  to  the  gallerj^  The 
interior  of  the  building  was  after  the  style  of  the  period, — square 
pews,  seats  that  turned  up,  and  which  went  down  with  a  slam 
when  the  people  took  their  seats  after  prayer,  wall  pews,  floor 
pews,  a  deacon's  seat  and  an  elder's  seat  in  front  of  the  pulpit,  a 
sounding-board,  singers'  seats  in  the  front  gallery,  and  common 
seats  on  the  sides. 

A  pleasant-toned  bell  was  purchased,  and  placed  in  the  belfry 
in  December,  1799.  It  probably  was  the  first  bell  in  the  Merri- 
mack valley  north  of  Dunstable.  A  bell,  weighing  six  hundred 
pounds,  was  obtained  in  Chester,  in  1788.  The  bell  in  the  iSTorth 
church,  in  Concord,  was  not  obtained  till  1802.  The  incident 
serves  to  show  the  public  spirit  of  the  new  society,  which,  relieved 
from  connection  with  the  town,  entered  upon  its  work  with  great 
zeal. 

DEATH    OF    WASHINGTON. 

The  news  of  Washington's  death  was  received  in  Boscawen  on 
the  IGth  of  January,  1800,  and  the  bell  was  tolled  through  the 
day  by  George  Washington  Webster.  The  mournful  knell  went 
out  over  hill  and  vale.     People  came  riding  to  the  meeting-house 


1800.]  CIVIL   HISTORY.  159 

to  hear  the  news,  and  in  obedience  to  the  general  request  the  select- 
men issued  the  following  notice  for  a  meeting  of  the  town : 

"  To  the  inhabitants  of  Boscawen  :  Agreeably  to  a  request  of  a  num- 
ber of  the  inhabitants  you  are  desired  to  meet  at  the  hDwer  meeting 
house  on  Monday  the  20"^  inst  at  2  o'clock  P  M  to  signify  whether  it  be 
your  wish  to  have  an  oration  or  eulogium  on  the  memory  of  General 
Geo  Washington  delivered  at  said  house  on  a  time  that  you  may  agree 
also  to  take  such  other  measures  as  they  may  think  proper  to  show  their 
last  respect  to  the  Friend  of  their  country. 

"Enoch  Gerrish  ) 
Benj  Little        ^  Selectmen, 
Timo  Dix  jr       ) 
"  Boscawen  Jan  18.  1800" 

At  the  meeting  held  on  the  20th,  Col.  Henry  Gerrish,  Maj. 
Enoch  Gerrish,  George  Jackman,  Nathaniel  Green,  and  Timothy 
Dix,  Jr.,  were  appointed  a  committee  to  consult  in  regard  to  the 
proposed  tribute  of  respect,  and  made  the  following  report : 

"  That  the  Rev  Sam^  Wood  be  desired  to  prepare  &  deliver  an  Ora- 
tion on  the  22'i  of  February,  at  eleven  oclock  in  this  house.  That  the 
Pulpit  be  shrouded  with  black,  that  the  people  be  desired  on  the  occa- 
sion agreeably  to  the  Presidents  Pi-oclamation  to  wear  a  black  crape  or 
ribbond  upon  the  left  arm,  same  above  the  elbow,  &  that  the  Females 
of  the  town  be  requested  to  wear  black  ribbonds — said  mourning  to  be 
worn  from  the  Lord's  day  next  four  week's  inclusive  &  that  the  inhabi- 
tants be  requested  to  form  procession  at  half  past  ten  oclock  on  said 
day  at  Mr  Somersby  Pearsons  &  that  a  committee  be  chosen  to  make  such 
arrangements  as  shall  be  thought  necessary  on  said  day." 

Tliere  was  a  large  gathering  of  the  people  on  tlie  day  appointed, 
and  the  arrangements  of  the  committee  were  duly  carried  out. 

The  oration  of  Mr.  Wood  took  the  form  of  a  sermon,  from  the 
text, — "And  when  the  children  of  Israel  cried  unto  the  Lord, 
the  Lord  raised  up  a  deliverer  to  the  children  of  Israel,  who  de- 
livered them,  even  Othniel  the  son  of  Kenaz,  Caleb's  younger 
brother." — Judges  3 :  9. 

On  the  same  day,  a  meeting  was  held  at  the  West  meeting- 
house, and  a  eulogy  delivered  "by  Eev.  Ariel  Kendrick  V.  D.  M." 

Diligent  inquiry  has  been  made  in  order  to  ascertain  the  mean- 
ing of  the  cabalistic  affix  appended  to  Rev.  Mr.  Kendrick's  name 
in  the  printed  address  delivered  on  the  occasion  ;  hut  the  few  ven- 


IGO  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1800. 

erable  men  still  living,  who  can  remember  "Washington's  funeral, 
are  ignorant  as  to  their  meaning. 

SMALL-POX     HOSPITAL. 

The  small-pox  suddenly  made  its  appearance  at  the  west  end. 
A  town-meeting  was  called,  and  a  committee  of  safety  appointed. 
The  selectmen  were  instructed  to  prosecute  all  who  might  spread 
the  infection.  The  infected  were  removed  to  a  pest-house,  and 
libert}'  was  given  to  private  individuals  to  establish  a  small-pox 
hospital.  One  was  accordingly  erected,  in  the  pasture  east  of  the 
road,  on  Water  street,  not  far  from  the  residence  of  Silas  Call, 
now  William  Abbott's. 

At  the  annual  meeting  in  March,  liberty  was  given  to  all  Avho 
might  choose  so  to  dp,  who  lived  west  of  the  spot  where  the  old 
meeting-house  stood,  to  pay  their  minister's  tax  in  the  west  part  of 
the  town,  and  have  jireaching  there  accordingly ;  but  the  town 
refused  to  appoint  a  committee  to  see  how  much  of  the  preaching 
should  be  at  the  east  or  how  much  at  the  west  end.  Mr.  Wood 
had  made  a  donation  of  $54  to  the  town  for  school  purposes,  for 
which  he  received  a  vote  of  thanks.  The  generous  act  made  the 
town  kindly  disposed  towards  him  personally,  but  did  not  turn 
the  citizens  from  the  purpose  of  dispensing  with  preaching  at  the 
town's  expense.  There  was  a  steady  increase  of  those  who  re- 
fused to  pay  a  tax  for  the  support  of  a  minister.  Suits  were 
brought  against  them,  which  increased  the  discontent. 

SUXDAY      TRAVELLING. 

The  law  against  Sunday  travelling  was  enforced  at  this  date ; 

but  the  town  was  fortunate  in  having  a  justice  of  the  peace  who 

performed  his   duties   in  a  quiet  way — who  preferred  to  write  a 

friendly  note  rather  than  to  issue  a  process  of  law.     One  Philip 

Colby,  having  travelled  on  Sunday,  and  having  been  complained 

of,  was  thus  admonished : 

"  Boseawen  March  2i^^  1800 

"  S""  Mr  Samuel  Jackman  one  of  the  tything  men  of  Boseawen  has  en- 
tered a  complaint  to  me  against  you  for  travailing  and  Giving  him  a 
false  answer  on  the  Lord's  day  the  twenty-third  of  this  Instant  and  un- 
less you  come  Immediately  and  pay  your  fine  and  settle  the  matter  you 
may  expect  to  be  Dealt  with  according  to  Law 

"  from  your  friend 

"Mr  Philip  Colby.  Henry  Gerrish." 


1802. J  CIVIL    HISTORY.  161 


SEVERAN'CE    OF    THE     LAST    TIE    BETWEEN"     CHURCH     AND    STATE. 

1801.  It  was  discovered  that  in  a  government  of  the  people, 
under  a  constitution  which  protected  all  religions,  yet  recognized 
none,  it  was  impossible  to  force  men  to  pay  taxes  for  minister  or 
meeting-house.  The  question  of  annulling  the  contract  with  Mr. 
Wood  and  his  dismissal  was  discussed,  and  a  special  town-meet- 
ing held  in  December  to  take  some  action.  A  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  wait  on  Mr.  Wood,  and  see  if  he  would  unite  with  the 
town  in  calling  a  council. 

Feb.  1.  A  special  meeting  of  the  town  was  called,  to  hear  the 
report  of  the  committee  of  five  who  had  waited  on  Mr.  Wood,  and 
who  presented  a  brief  and  courteous  communication  from  that 
gentleman,  as  given  below  : 

"As  it  appears  to  be  the  request  of  the  town  for  iiie  to  join  with 
them  to  disannul  the  civil  agreement  between  us,  if  the  town  shall  re- 
quest it  &  shall  take  necessary  steps  for  the  purpose  I  consent  up- 
on reasonable  terms  which  we  may  probably  agree  upon  finally  to  dis- 
solve the  contract.  As  the  contract  was  made  by  us,  the  town  proposing 
&  I  accepting,  so  I  see  no  need  of  an  ecclesiastial  council  to  dissolve 
it.  We  may  however  take  advice  of  some  gentlemen  from  abroad  as 
to  the  terms." 

The  contract  was  therefore  amicably  dissolved,  he  being  ex- 
empted from  taxation  during  his  relation  to  the  church,  and  the 
town  annually  giving  him  one  haK  of  the  interest  of  the  parsonage 
so  long  as  he  was  a  minister. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  was  stij^ulated  that  ''  all  who  might  con- 
tribute to  his  support  should  not  be  taxed  elsewhere  for  preach- 
ing." 

The  agreement  was  accepted — 67  to  64. 

From  this  time  till  1804,  the  people  living  at  the  west  end  were 
without  preaching,  except  such  as  was  had  at  the  expense  of  indi- 
viduals. 

1802.  During  this  year,  a  religious  society  bearing  the  title  of 
the  "  Universal  Society  "  was  formed.  The  members,  however, 
were  mostly  residents  of  other  towns.  It  was  another  form  of  re- 
volt against  the  long  received  theolog3^  Its  members  believed  in 
the  universal  salvation  of  men.  Two  of  its  members — Mr.  Tim- 
othy and  Mr.  Pearson   Eastman — moving   into  Boscaweu  from 

11 


162  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1803. 

Salisbury,  brouglit  witli  them  certificates  of  membersliip,  wliicli 
are  on  record. 

'*  Salisbury  April  16,  1802 
"  To  the  Selectmen  of  Boscawen 
"  Gentlemen : 

"  This  may  certify  that  Mr  Pearson  Eastman  is  a  member  of  the 
Universal  Society  formed  in  January  last  consisting  of  a  compact  of 
towns  in  this  vicinity. 

"  A  Whittemore  clerk." 

This  was  to  exempt  them  from  taxation  for  the  support  of  the 
ministry,  which  question  had  been  already  settled  by  the  volun- 
tary settlement  of  Mr.  Wood  as  minister  of  the  town ;  but  the 
record  serves  to  show  the  wide-spread  disaffection  with  the  old 
order  of  things,  and  also  dates  the  formation  of  the  first  Univer- 
salist  society  in  this  section  of  the  state. 

VENDUING     THE    POOR. 

Up  to  this  period  there  were  few  jjeople  in  town  who  could  not 
support  themselves  ;  but  with  the  rapid  increase  of  population 
came  a  corresponding  increase  of  those  who  needed  aid  from  the 
town.  The  few  poor  people  of  former  days  had  been  cared  for  by 
their  friends,  or  by  the  selectmen,  in  a  manner  requiring  no  action 
in  town-meeting ;  but  in  this  year  a  new  departure  was  made. 

It  was  voted  "  to  vendue  off  Wm.  Evans  to  the  lowest  bidder, 
for  his  maintainance." 

The  successful  bidder  was  Levi  Bean,  and  the  price  paid  was 
eighty-three  cents  per  week. 

This  method  of  caring  for  the  poor  of  the  town  continued  till 
the  purchase  of  the  town  almshouse. 

1803.  The  remaining  half  of  the  interest  on  parsonage  bonds 
was  granted  to  the  West  meeting-house,  to  be  laid  out  under  the 
direction  of  the  selectmen. 

TURNPIKES. 

The  rapid  advancement  of  civilization  northward  to  northern 
New  Hampshire  and  Vermont,  and  the  increasing  amount  of  jDublic 
travel,  called  for  better  highways,  and  turnpike  companies,  were 
incorporated  throughout  the  state.     Among  others  were  the  First, 


1803.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  163 

Second,   Tliird,   and    Fourth  New   Hami^shire,  the  Portsmouth, 
Londonderry,  Chester,  Grafton,  and  Mayhew. 

The  Fourth  New  Hampshire  turnpike  began  at  the  Merrimack 
river,  where  the  bridge  from  Fisherville  crosses  the  Merrimack, 
and  extended  to  Hanover,  through  Salisbury,  Andover,  Wihnot, 
Springfield,  Enfield,  and  Lebanon.  The  corporation  had  a  right 
to  use  existing  roads,  but  must  keep  them  in  repair.  No  toll  was 
charged  to  a  townsman.  The  Boscawen  toll-gate  was  located  on 
the  summit  of  the  ridge  east  of  the  "  GruK,"  at  Clay  hill,  and  ia 
still  standing. 

EFFORT    TO    MAKE    BOSCAWEN"    THE    CAPITAL    OP    THE    STATE. 

The  growth  of  the  state,  and  the  development  of  the  northern 
section,  indicated  that  sooner  or  later  the  capital  would  be  moved 
from  Exeter  to  some  more  central  locality.  The  matter  was 
strongly  agitated  during  the  year  1802-3.  Pembroke,  Concord, 
Boscawen,  and  quite  likely  other  towns,  took  measures  toward 
securing  it.  The  citizens  of  Boscawen  took  hold  of  the  subject 
zealousl}^,  as  the  following  document  shows  : 

"We  the  subscribers  promise  to  pay  the  sums  set  against  our  names 
for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  house  for  the  Legislature  of  New  Hamp- 
shire to  be  placed  on  Boscawen  plain  in  the  Senter  as  near  as  the 
ground  will  admitt  of  between  Col  Joseph  Gerrish  and  Mr  Somersby 
Pearson,  by  a  committee  that  shall  hereafter  be  appointed  to  compleat 
the  said  house  provided  the  General  Court  of  New  Hampshire  shall  en- 
gage to  hold  their  sessions  in  said  Boscawen  in  seven  or  ten  years  as 
witness  our  hand 

"December  the  26"^  1803 

"  Joseph  Gerrish  $100 

Isaac  Chandler  75 

Caleb  Putney  200 

Dennison  Bowers  "  100 

Nathi  Green  100 

Nathan  Carter  150 

Somersby  Pearson  100 

Tho«  Gillmore  50 

Joseph  11  Morrill  30 

Jeremiah  Morrill  20 

John  Gill  25 

Jon*  Hutchinson  25 


164  CIVIL   HISTORY.  [1803. 

Simeon  Danforth  5 

"W"  G  Emerson  10 

Enocti  Gerrish  jr  10 

Joshua  Morse  10 

Joshua  Carlton  10 

Timothy  Dix  50 

Saml  Peterson  5 

James  Uran  10 

John  S  Abbott  20 

William  Gill  50 

Benj  Hills  20 

Saml  Garven  50 

Joel  French  50 

Winthrop  Carter  25 

Humphrey  Webster  25 

Tho'  Carter  10 

George  Perkins  10 

Charles  Eastman  "                     10 

Joseph  Atkinson  15 

Enoch  Danford  10 

Henry  Gerrish  50 

Silas  Rolfe  10 

Benj  Rolfe  jr  20 

Moses  Manuel  5 

Samuel   Burbank  10 

Samuel  Uran  3 

Josiah  Burbank  3 

John  Flanders  jr      .  4 

David  Burbank  2 
"  We,  a  part  of  the  above  Subscribers  do  hereby  engage  to  pay  the 
above  svims  annexed  to  our  names  in  case  the  Gen'  Court  should  ad- 
journ to  this  place  for  one  session  only. 

"  Henry  Gerrish  Benj  Rolfe  jr 

Caleb  Putney  John  Gill 

Joseph  H  Morrill  Nathan  Carter 

Jeremiah  Morrill  Joshua  Carter." 
Benj  Hills 

HOTELS, 

The  niim'ber  of  hotels  in  Boscawen  at  this  period  is  learned 
from  the  New  Hampshire  Eegister  for  1803,  which  gives  the  pub- 
lic houses  on  the  stage  route  from  Concord  to  Haverhill. 


1804.]  CIVIL   HISTORY.  165 

First  was  Chandler's — the  present  "  Penacook  House." 

"  Gerrish,"  two  miles  farther,  kept  by  Col.  Joseph  Gerrish.  The 
building  was  a  large,  long,  two-storied  edifice,  afterwards  occupied 
by  Dr.  Thomas  Peach,  and  was  burned. 

The  next  was  Nathan  Carter's, — the  house  now  occupied  by 
Mr.  Caleb  Hall,  which  has  been  wholly  remodelled  by  him. 

Then  came  Bohonnon's, — probably  the  house  now  occupied  by 
Nathaniel  Webster. 

At  the  upper  end  of  the  plain  was  Pearson's  hotel,  in  the  house 
now  kej)t  as  a  public  house  by  Samuel  A.  Ambrose. 

The  route  to  Haverhill  was  up  the  valley  of  the  Merrimack, 
and  the  nest  tavern  was  "  Atkinson's,"  and  beyond  it  Col.  Henry 
Gerrish's,  one  of  the  oldest  hotels  in  the  town,  on  the  site  now 
occupied  by  the  county  buildings. 

On  the  Foxxrth  New  Hampshire  turnpike  was  Choate's  tavern, 
the  large  two-storied  house  still  standing. 

Among  the  votes  passed  by  the  town  in  1804  were  the  follow- 
ing: 

"  Voted  to  prosecute  those  persons  who  took  away  the  Bridge  near 
Joseph  Gerrish's  ou  the  fourth  New  Hampshire  turnpike  road." 

*'  Voted  Capt  John  Chandler,  Col  Joseph  Gerrish,  Daniel  Carter 
Johu  Flanders,  Benjamin  Little  Esq  be  a  committee  to  examine  the 
road  between  Col  Joseph  Gerrish's  &  John  Chandlers  &  say  when  it  is 
as  good  as  it  was  before  the  turnpike  came  on  it." 

"  Voted  to  give  Saral  Corser  fifty  dollars  to  make  the  hill  near  Col 
Joseph  Gerrish's  as  good  as  it  was  before  the  turnpike  came  on  it." 

From  the  above  votes,  it  may  be  inferred  that  the  turnpike 
company  did  not  keep  the  highway  in  very  good  repair, 

CANTERBURY     BRIDGE. 

1804.  In  1804  the  Canterbury  toll-bridge  was  constructed. 
The  event  was  the  occasion  of  much  rejoicing.  There  was  a 
gathering  at  the  meeting-house  on  the  plain ;  addresses  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Wood,  and  Rev.  William  Patrick,  minister  of  Canterbury ; 
a  procession  from  the  meeting-house,  across  the  bridge,  to  the 
residence  of  Enoch  Gerrish  (now  Mr.  Chandler's),  on  the  Can- 
terbury side  ;  a  dinner,  and  speeches,  with  liquors  in  abundant 
supply. 


166                                               CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1805. 

RATES    OF    TOLL    FOK    CANTERBURY    BRIDGE 1805. 

"  Foot  Passenger  1    Cents 

Horse  and  Rider  6|^ 

Horse  &  Chaise  Chair  Or  Sulkey  12J 

Sleigh  With  One  horse  6|- 

Sleigh  With  Two  horse  10 

Coach   Chariot    Phaeton    Or  Other  4  Wheel 

Carriages  20 

Curricle  12J 
Cart  Or  Other  Carriage  of  Burthen  With  Two 

Beasts  12^ 

Additional  Beasts  Each  J 

Horses  JS'eat  Cattle  d"^  2 

Sheep  &  Swine  Each  ^ 
To  Each  Team  1  Person  To  pass  As  A  Driver 

Free  Each  Waggon,  and  horse  9  " 

The  town  permitted  the  sale  of  space  for  four  pews  on  the 
floor  of  the  West  meeting-house,  and  the  money  was  expended  on 
the  edifice. 

Although  the  town  had  refused  to  have  any  part  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  East  meeting-house,  and  had  no  claim  whatever 
to  its  use,  the  society  generously  threw  open  its  doors,  and  gave 
the  town  the  privilege  of  holding  its  meetings  in  the  edifice,  nor 
was  there  any  opposition  to  the  use  of  the  building  from  those 
who  had  manifested  hostility  to  the  old  order  of  things. 

WESTERLY     RELIGIOUS    SOCIETY. 

As  it  was  decided  that  the  town  would  take  no  action  towards 
settling  a  minister  at  the  west  end,  the  citizens  west  of  Beaver- 
dam,  and  some  east  of  it,  united  in  the  formation  of  the  Westerly 
Religious  Societj^  (which  see).  Seventy-one  citizens  joined  in  the 
association.  Rev.  Ebenezer  Price  (see  Biog.),  having  preached 
to  their  acceptance  a,  few  Sabbaths,  was  called  to  be  their  minis- 
ter, and  a  church  was  formed,  under  the  title  of  "  The  Second  Con- 
gregational Church  in  Boscawen." 

BRIDGE    ACROSS    THE    CONTOOCOOK. 

For  several  years  the  question  of  rebuilding  the  bridge  across 
the  Contoocook  had  been  before  the  town,  but  had  been  postponed 


1807.]  CIVIL   HISTORY.  167 

until  the  existing  structure  was  deemed  no  longer  safe.  An  effort 
was  made  to  secure  the  rebuilding  in  another  place,  which  in- 
volved the  question  of  boundary  between  the  towns  of  Boscawen 
and  Concord. 

Committees  from  the  two  towns  were  appointed  to  take  the 
question  into  consideration.  The  Concord  committee  consisted  of 
Jonathan  Wilkins,  John  Bradley,  and  Ebenezer  Dustin ;  the 
Boscawen  committee,  of  Enoch  Gerrish,  John  Chandler,  and 
Nathaniel  Green.  They  reported  "  that  the  old  spot  where  the 
Bridge  now  stands  shall  be  the  place  where  a  new  Bridge  shall 
be  built  &  further  report  that  the  towns  of  Concord  &  Boscawen 
petition  the  General  Court  that  the  centre  of  the  River  Contoo- 
cook  from  the  mouth  be  considered  the  line  between  said  towns 
until  it  reaches  the  present  line  crossing  said  river  between  said 
towns." 

The  report  was  accepted  by  the  town  of  Boscawen. 

1806.  Among  the  items  on  the  selectmen's  books  is  tlie  follow- 
ing: 

"  Paid  Daniel  Webster  for  repairing  the  School  House  2,87  " 

The  schoolhouse  was  the  "  Gulf,"  Mr.  Webster  being  a  resident 
of  that  district, — a  boarder  in  the  family  of  Joel  French,  in  the 
house  now  occupied  by  James  GilL 

1807.  From  the  selectmen's  books  ; 

"  Paid  Daniel  Webster  for  paying  School  master  2,00." 

In  town-meeting : 

"  Voted  that  Daniel  Webster  S:Lt  Benjamin  Jackman  be  a  commit- 
tee to  ascertain  the  damage  on  account  of  the  road  going  on  Timothy 
Dix'  land  near  Esqr  Jackman's  barn." 

This  barn  was  located  on  Queen  street,  west  of  the  present  resi- 
dence of  Prof.  John  Jackman. 

SELECT    SCHOOL. 

A  young  ladies'  school,  not  for  the  study  of  the  languages, 
science,  history,  mathematics,  and  geography,  but  for  instruction 
in  needlework,  was  advertised  in  the  Concord  Gazette. 

"  YOUXG    LADIE'S    school. 

"  A  school  for  the  instruction  of  young  Ladies  in  needle  work,  draw- 
ing &  embroidery,  will  be  opened  in  Boscawen  on  the  11"*  day  of  May 


168  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1809. 

next.  A  preceptress  having  the  proper  qualifications,  who  will  pay 
particular  attention  to  the  morals  &  manners  of  her  scholars,  is  pro- 
vided to  take  charge  of  the  school. 

"  Terms  of  tuition  three  dollars  per  quarter — board  from  one  dollar 
to  one  dollar  and  twenty-five  cents  per  week. 

"  T  Dix  jun 

"  for  the  proprietors. 
"Boscawen  10"^  April  1807." 

1808.  Education  throughout  the  state  "was  at  a  low  ebb.  The 
school  laws  were  very  imperfect.  In  many  towns,  little  had  been 
done  to  advance  the  interests  of  education. 

A  commendable  public  spirit  had  already  been  awakened  upon 
the  subject  in  Boscawen,  through  the  influence  of  the  two  minis- 
ters— Rev.  Mr.  Wood  and  Rev.  "Mr.  Price — and  other  citizens, 
ever  ready  to  advance  the  interests  of  the  town.  Though  far  in 
advance  of  many  other  towns,  the  citizens  generally  hailed  with 
satisfaction  the  school  law,  passed  by  the  legislature  for  the  better 
regulation  of  schools,  and  especially  the  establishing  of  a  superin- 
tending committee. 

DISTURBAIS^CE    IX    TOWN-MEETIXG. 

1809.  The  bitterness  against  religion  which  had  manifested  it- 
self in  bygone  years,  did  not  wholly  die  out  with  the  separation  of 
church  and  state.  There  were  still  some  disaffected  persons  who 
determined  to  have  no  prayers  in  town-meeting. 

Mr.  John  Flanders,  though  he  owned  a  pew  in  the  West  meet- 
ing-house, was  decided  in  his  opposition  to  a  continuance  of  the 
custom.  At  the  annual  town-meeting  in  1809,  while  Rev.  Mr. 
Price  was  offering  prayer,  Mr.  Flanders  proceeded  to  renail  the 
hinges  upon  his  pew  door  in  the  gallery,  having  carried  hammer 
and  nails  for  that  purpose.  The  ringing  blows  of  the  hammer 
disturbed  the  proceedings,  and  the  moderator.  Col.  Joseph  Gerrish, 
calling  upon  several  citizens  to  serve  as  constables,  the  disturber  of 
order  soon  found  himself  being  dragged  down  the  stairs,  which 
so  changed  his  opinions  that,  upon  the  next  day,  Mr.  Flanders 
made  the  following  acknowledgment  to  the  town,  which  was 
placed  upon   the  records  : 

"March  15,  1809 

''  I  hereby  acknowledge  that  my  conduct  yesterday  in    disturbing  the 


1809.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  169 

meeting  in  the  time  of  prayer  is  liiglily  unbecoming,  &  for  wliich  I  am 
sincerely  sorry  &  will  never  again  disturb  the  harmony  of  any  future 
meeting  in  the  like  manner  on  the  like  occasion. 

"  John  Flanders." 

The  town  had  been  insulted ;  its  dignity  was  assailed ;  and  the 
town-clerk  was  directed  to  notify  certain  persons,  who  had  aided 
and  abetted  Mr.  Flanders,  that  reparation  must  be  made. 

"  This  is  to  give  notice  to  those  persons  who  aided  &  assisted  Lt 
Flanders  at  the  time  he  made  his  disturbance  at  our  last  annual  meet- 
ing that  unless  they  come  forward  &  give  satisfaction  to  the  Town  afc 
the  above  meetiiag  they  will  be  dealt  with  agreeably  to  the  vote  of 
the  town. 

"  Joel  French  Town  clerk." 

The  following  vote  was  passed  : 

"  Voted  that  Geo  T  Flanders  &  others  before  the  sitting  of  the  next 
court  shall  give  to  the  selectmen  in  writing  an  acknowledgement  which 
shall  be  satisfactory  to  them  for  their  misconduct  in  the  last  meeting, 
or  otherwise  the  selectmen  to  commence  a  prosecution  against  them 
accordeing  to  vote  of  said  town." 

The  offenders,  finding  that  they  stood  alone — that  there  was 
a  universal  condemnation  of  their  conduct — came  before  the  town, 
and  asked  the  pardon  of  their  fellow-citizens,  which  was  freely 
given. 

"  Voted  to  forgive  Thomas  Eastman,  Thomas  Carter  &  Jonathan 
Eastman  for  aiding  &  assisting  Lt  J  Flanders  in  his  making  a  dis- 
turbance in  the  last  town  meeting." 

It  was  the  last  open  outbreak  against  order ;  and  from  that 
time  to  the  present  there  has  been  no  attempt  to  disturb  the  pub- 
lic peace.  So  strong  now  was  public  sentiment  for  the  mainte- 
nance of  order,  that  many  of  those  who  had  been  disorderly  found 
it  for  their  advantage  to  leave  the  town, 

NEW    SCHOOL    LAW. 

A  committee  was  appointed  in  accordance  with  the  provi- 
sions of  the  new  school  law,  to  establish  anew  the  school  districts. 
At  a  meeting,  held  September  10,  the  town  acted  upon  the  report 
of  the  committee,  ordering  several  new  school-houses  to  be  built  at 
the  town's  expense. 


170  CIVIL    HISTORY,  [1809. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  siTporintending  school  committee,  un- 
der the  new  law,  was  held  Ma}^  11,  at  the  house  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Wood.  It  was  composed  of  Mr.  Wood,  Mr.  Price,  and  the  select- 
men,— Stephen  Gerrish,  Joseph  H.  Morrill,  and  Peletiah  Peaslee. 

The  districts  were  reestablished,  A'iz.  : 
No.  1.  King  street.  No.     8.  Bashan. 

2.  Water  street — north.  9.  Long  pond. 

3.  Corser  hill.  10.  Atkinson  and  Clay  bill. 

4.  High  etreet.  11.  Pleasant  street. 

5.  Fish  street.  12.  Sweat  road. 

6.  Little  hill.  13.  South  Water  street. 

7.  White  plain.  11.  Union  and  Concord. 

MILITARY    SPIRIT. 

The  prospect  of  a  war  with  Prance  in  1789,  and  the  news  of 
Napoleon's  victories,  produced  a  military  spirit  which  manifested 
itself  in  the  formation  of  volunteer  military  uniformed  companies. 
The  first  uniformed  company  in  the  21st  regiment  was  the  cav- 
alry, or  "  troop  "  as  it  was  then  called.  (  See  Mil.  Hist.)  This 
was  made  up  of  soldiers  from  all  the  towns  comprised  in  the 
regiment.  Diligent  inquiry  has  not  enabled  us  to  ascertain  the 
date  of  the  formation  of  the  artillery,  the  first  uniformed  company 
in  the  town,  but  it  probably  was  in  1808  or  1809.  It  was  in  exist- 
ence in  1809,  as  we  learn  from  the  selectmen's  accounts  for  that 
year.    The  soldiers  were  victualled  on  muster  days  by  the  town. 

ITEMS    FROM    THE    SELECTMEN'S    BOOKS. 

"  Paid  Benjamin  Kimball  victualing  artillery  3,.50 

Paid  John  Plummer  for  victualing  troop  2,38 

Paid  Samuel  W  Long  for  rum  &  powder  41 ,72    ' 

Paid  Samuel  Cliadwick  for  victualling  Capt  Ames'  Company       2,52 

Paid  iMoses  Manuel  for  keeping  Old  Beedle  10,67 

Paid  Enoch  Call  for  his  swearing  off  his  money  ,61  " 

WHIPPING-POSTS. 

Whipping  was  one  of  tlie  punishments  prescribed  by  law  for 
minor  offences.  The  public  whipping-post  stood  near  Gilmore's 
tavern  (the  house  now  occupied  by  Nathaniel  Webster),  a  few 
rods  north  of  the  same.  The  only  instance  of  a  public  whipping 
of  an  offender  occurred  in  1809. 


1809.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  171 

Mr.  Somersby  Pearson,  owner  of  the  grist-mill  on  Mill  brook, 
complained  to  Joseph  Gerrish,  justice  of  the  peace,  against  Jacob 
Richardson,  "  that  he  hath  reason  to  suspect  &  does  suspect  that 
the  said  Jacob  of  said  Boscawen  on  tlie  24  Inst  (Feb)  &  at  divers 
other  times  before  had  entered  his  grist  mill  in  said  Boscawen  & 
took  &  conveyed  away  from  the  same  divers  quantities  of  meal 
with  intent  to  steal  the  same." 

A  Avarrant  was  issued  to  Thomas  Gerrish,  constable,  who  ar- 
rested the  said  Jacob. 

"  The  Defendant  being  arraigned  pleaded  not  guilty.  Thereupon  it 
is  considered  by  me  the  said  Justic  that  the  said  Defendant  is  guilty  & 
that  he  receive  on  his  naked  back  eight  stripes  with  a  cat  of  nine  tails  to 
morrow  morning  at  eight  o  clock  &  the  Defendant  be  committed  till 
sentence  be  performed. 

"  Joseph  Gerrish 

''  Jus  Peace." 

The  sentence  was  executed  the  next  morning,  the  culprit  being 
tied  to  a  small  tree  that  stood  near  the  meeting-house,  south  of 
the  residence  of  Mr.  S.  A.  Ambrose. 

That  the  citizens  of  Boscawen  were  kindly  disposed  toward  all 
in  misfortune  is  manifest  from  the  following  votes,  passed  in 
1809  • 

"  Voted  that  George  T  Flanders'  Poll  tax  be  abated  for  the  year  be 
was  lame  by  breaking  his  leg." 

''  Voted  to  give  Abraham  Adams  his  taxes  for  two  years  past  in  con- 
sequence of  sickness." 


[1810. 


CHAPTEE    XI. 

PROGRESS. 

fEAELY  a  quarter  of  a  century  had  passed  since  the  adop- 
tion of  the  federal  constitution.  What  progress  had 
been  made  in  civilization  ?  To  what  plane  had  society  ad- 
vanced ? 

People  no  longer  lived  in  log  cabins.  Possibly  here  and  there 
one  might  have  been  found ;  but  those  rude  habitations  had  given 
place  to  framed  structures, — large,  square,  two-storied  houses, 
with  great  chimneys,  wide  fireplaces,  and  huge  ovens.  The  til- 
lage and  jiasture  lands  have  increased  with  the  population.  In 
June,  the  woodman's  axe  is  heard  through  the  day,  felling  trees ; 
in  August,  before  the  fall  rains  set  in,  the  torch  is  applied  to  the 
felled  forest  growth,  and  dense  clouds  of  smoke  darken  the  skj. 
Then  comes  the  clearing, — the  work  on  the  burnt  ground,  the 
gathering  up  of  half  burned  brands,  the  rolling  together  of  logs, 
the  harrowing  in  of  winter  vye,  the  farmer  and  his  boys  covered 
with  soot.  The  ashes  are  gathered  up,  and  sold  at  the  "  potash." 
Then  comes  the  harvest. 

"  Oft  did  the  harvest  to  their  sickle  yield, 

Their  furrow  oft  the  stubborn  glebe  has  broke; 
How  jocund  did  they  drive  their  teams  afield! 
How  bowed  the  woods  beneath  their  sturdy  stroke." 

With  the  gathering  of  the  corn  come  the  huskings ;  an  invita- 
tion to  all  the  neighbors, — men  and  women,  boys  and  girls  :  all 
are  invited.  The  huskings  are  in  the  evening,  and  when  the 
corn  is  finished,  then  comes  the  suj^per, — hasty  pudding,  baked 
beans,  apple  and  pumpkin  pie ;  mugs  of  cider,  egg-nog,  flip,  and 


Breaking  and  Swingling. 


1810.] 


CIVIL   HISTORY. 


173 


rum.  In  other  localities,  a  liuskiiig  not  iinfrequently  winds  up 
with  a  dance ;  but  the  people  of  Boscawen  are  staid  and  sober, 
and  not  much  given  to  amusement. 

With  winter  comes  the  threshing  of  grain,  and  the  sound  of  the 
flail  is  heard  from  morning  till  night.  In  the  evening  the  farmer 
brings  his  corn  from  the  garret,  seats  himself  astride  the  bread- 
trough,  and  shells  it  by  rasping  the  ears  against  the  sharp  edge 
of  a  jiod-auger,  or  the  handle  of  the  frying-pan. 

Later  in  the  winter,  in  February  and  March,  he  breaks  and 
swingles  the  flax.  The  flax-breaker — the  instrument  by  which 
the  wood}^  part  of  the  plant  is  broken  into  "  shives  " — is  a  rude 
machine,  composed  of  a  series  of 
wooden  knives  placed  in  the  "  break- 
er," which  is  lifted  with  one  hand, 
and  a  handful  of  flax  stalks  placed 
beneath  it,  and  crushed  by  repeated 
bumpings  of  the  machine.  The  stalks 
thus  crushed  are  "  swingled "  by  a 
double-edged  wooden  sword.  This 
process  separates  the  "  shives  "  from 
the  fibre.  The  next  process  is 
"  hatchelling, "  or  the  drawing  of 
the  fibres  through  a  "  hatchel,"  and 

lastly  through  a  "  comb."     Twenty 

pounds  of  swingled  flax  is  accounted 

a  day's  work. 

With  the  opening  of  spring  comes 

the  plowing.     The  plow  is  still  the 

same  heav}',  clumsy  wooden  and  iron 

affair,   made   by  the  carpenter  and 

blacksmith.     Tristram  Noyes  is  the 

plow-maker   of    Boscawen,   residing 

on  the  turnpike.     The  mould-board 

is  a  curved  piece  of  white  oak,  with 

bits  of   old  saw-plate    and  ox-shoes 

nailed   upon  it.      Sixteen  oxen   are 

required  to  draw  it,  with  one  man  to  ride  the  beam  and  keep  it 

in  the  ground,  and  another  with  a  "breaking  up  "  hoe  to  dig  up 

the  "  baulks "  in  the  furrow.      Three  teamsters,   one  plowman, 


174  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1810. 

and  two  assistants,  make  up  the  complement  of  men.  Tlie  plow 
is  from  twelve  to  fourteen  feet  in  length.  In  a  small  field,  such 
a  team  reaches  almost  the  length  of  the  furrow. 

The  farmer  uses  a  wooden  shovel,  shod  with  iron.  His  pitch- 
fork, made  by  the  neighboring  blacksmith,  is  of  iron,  clumsy, 
heavy,  requiring  his  utmost  strength  to  thrust  it  into  the  ha}^, 
and  quite  as  much  to  withdraw  it.  His  scythe  is  made  from  a  bar 
of  Kussia  iron,  edged  with  steel.  The  handle  of  the  pitch-fork, 
and  his  scythe-snath,  are  of  his  own  manufacture,  and  so  are  his 
ox-yokes  and  bows.  His  cart-wheels  are  tired  with  strips  of  iron, 
nailed  upon  the  felloes. 

Wagons  are  just  beginning  to  make  their  appearance.  The 
bodies  rest  upon  the  axle.  They  are  wholly  destitute  of  springs. 
Leather  thorough-braces  are  of  a  later  date.  The  roads  are  rough ; 
the  stones  have  not  been  removed ;  and  the  noise  made  b}^  the 
wagons  in  rattling  over  them  is  called  "  home-spun  thunder !  " 

The  citizens  are  obliged  to  take  circuitous  routes  in  getting 
from  one  section  of  the  town  to  another.  The  people  of  Bashan, 
wishing  to  reach  the  Plain,  must  go  from  Dingit  corner  to  the 
lower  end  of  Water  street.  Mr.  Moses  Gerrish,  and  other  resi- 
dents of  Bashan  who  attend  the  West  meeting,  must  go  by  the 
way  of  Dingit  corner  and  Pleasant  street  to  "  Mutton  road,"  and 
over  Corser  hill.  Mr.  Gerrish  must  eat  his  Sunday  morning 
breakfast  by  candle-light,  in  the  winter,  and  start  soon  after 
sunrise  to  reach  the  meeting-house  in  season  for  service  ;  and  the 
stars  will  be  twinkling  when  he  arrives  home  at  night.  Yet 
sickness  alone  keeps  him  from  meeting. 

Although  meeting-going  is  not  universal,  there  are  great  con- 
gregations. The  day  for  Sunday-schools  has  not  yet  arrived,  and 
the  mornings  are  spent  in  discussing  the  news.  People  come  on 
horseback,  the  women  riding  on  pillions  behind  their  husbands, 
husband  and  wife  each  with  a  child  in  their  arms,  and  perhaps  a 
third  child  hanging  on  by  the  crupper.  They  dismount  at  a  horse- 
block. In  the  winter,  at  noon,  tlie  people  at  the  East  end  throng 
the  kitchens  and  sitting-rooms  of  Dea.  Isaac  Pearson  (S.  A. 
Ambrose's  house)  and  Joel  Prench  (James  Gill's  house).  At 
the  West  end,  they  find  bright  fires  blazing  in  the  house  of  Paul 
Dodge,  and  at  Samuel  Morse's  (William  Pearson's). 

The  women  bring  their  foot-stones,  and  fill  them   with   coals 


1810.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  175 

from  tlie  fires  in  the  sitting-room,  eat  their  fried  turnovers,  dough- 
nuts, cheese,  and  gingerbread,  while  the  men  in  the  kitchens,  after 
eating  tlieir  hmcheon,  fill  their  pipes,  and  enjoy  the  luxury  of  "  a 
smoke."  The  news,  home  and  foreign,  is  discussed,  and  the  points 
of  theology  in  the  sermon  taken  up. 

This  is  the  period  of  Dr.  Thomas  Worcester's  defection  from 
the  received  theology.  He  is  the  Salisbury  minister,  an  able 
preacher,  who,  with  his  brother,  Noah  Worcester,  of  Thornton, 
has  embraced  the  Unitarian  theology. 

In  Dea.  Enoch  Little's  (senior)  journal,  under  date  of  Sept.  16, 
1810,  is  this  note  :  "  All  to  meeting.  Mr  Price  whipt  Mr  Wor- 
cester." Possibly  some  other  day-book  kept  in  Salisbury  may 
have  had  the  record  that  Mr.  Worcester  "  whipt "  Mr.  Price. 

The  views  adopted  by  Mr.  Worcester  being  repugnant  to  some 
of  the  members  of  the  Salisbury  church,  we  see  Nathaniel  Sawyer 
and  his  wife  riding  down  Battle  street,  to  attend  the  preaching  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Price.  The  theological  sermon  is  discussed,  not  only 
around  Mr.  Dodge's  fireplace,  but  in  every  household. 

Party  spirit  runs  high,  not  only  in  theology,  but  in  politics. 
The  wars  waged  by  Napoleon  in  Europe  shake  American  society 
to  its  foundation.  The  course  pursued  by  Great  Britain,  in 
searching  American  vessels  for  British  seamen,  produces  irrita- 
tion. One  party  is  ready  to  rush  into  war ;  the  other  deprecates 
an  appeal  to  arms.  So  bitter  is  the  j^artisanship,  that  when  the 
Fourth  of  July  comes  around,  each  political  party  has  its  celebra- 
tion, its  own  orator  presenting  its  own  political  views. 

Under  the  new  school  law,  the  schools  are  somewhat  systema- 
tized. A  new  impetus  has  been  given  to  education,  but  the  stud- 
ies are  all  primary.  In  the  winter  the  houses  are  crowded  with 
grown-up  boys  and  girls,  many  of  whom  are  still  plodding  in  sim- 
ple reading,  or  bewildering  their  brains  over  "fractions."  They 
have  not  attempted  grammar.  The  boys  wear  shoes  and  buskins, 
or  leggins.  Their  shirts  are  made  of  tow.  Their  clothes  in  winter 
are  coarse  cassimere,  spun  and  woven  by  the  women  and  girls, 
dyed  in  the  dye-pot  which  stands  in  the  chimney-corner,  and  the 
cover  of  which  furnishes  a  seat  for  one  of  the  small  members  of 
the  family.  The  cloth  is  fulled  at  the  fulling-mill,  dressed  by 
Dea.  Isaac  Pearson,  cut  by  the  tailoress,  who  goes  from  house  to 
house  for  that  purpose,  carrying  her  pressing-board,  goose,  and 
big:  shears. 


176  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1810. 

Tlie  people  eat  plain  food, — beau  porridge,  hasty  pudding, 
liulled  corn  and  milk,  Indian  and  rye  bread,  hominy,  potatoes, 
beef  and  pork,  and  sometimes  make  a  dinner  of  bread  and  cider. 
In  the  autumn  they  feast  on  pumpkin  pies,  and  drink  liop  and 
spruce  beer. 

The  household  furniture  consists  of  table  and  chairs,  and  a 
great  settle  with  a  high  back,  which  in  the  daytime  is  pushed 
to  one  side  of  the  room,  but  which  in  the  evening  is  wheeled 
in  front  of  the  fire.  In  one  corner  of  the  kitchen  is  the  dress- 
er, with  rows  of  pewter  plates  and  platters,  brightly  scoured, 
standing  on  the  shelves  in  rows,  reflecting  the  flickering  fire- 
light. The  people  eat  their  porridge  with  pewter  spoons,  and 
many  families  are  in  possession  of  moulds  for  the  re-casting 
of  the  spoons  when  bent  or  broken.  In  the  sink  is  a  piggin 
and  a  keeler, — wooden  vessels  used  for  the  dipping  of  water 
and  for  washing  dishes.  Out  of  doors  stands  the  mash-tub,  in 
which  ashes  are  leeched  for  making  soap.  In  the  cellar  are  the 
pork  and  beef  barrels. 

Once  a  week  the  great  iron  pot  is  placed  over  the  fire,  sus- 
pended by  a  hook  from  the  crane,  and  "  a  boiled  dinner "  is 
cooked, — beef,  pork,  and  vegetables. 

At  night  the  fire  is  carefully  covered,  to  preserve  a  bed  of  coals 
for  morning.  If  perchance  it  goes  out,  a  coal  is  brought  from  the 
neighbor's,  between  two  chips;  or,  if  the  neighbor  is  too  far 
away,  and  the  family  has  no  tinder-box  with  flint  and  steel,  the 
gun  is  taken  down  from  its  hooks  over  the  door,  a  pile  of  shavings 
laid,  and  a  train  of  tow  and  powder,  and  the  gun  is  flashed. 

Once,  when  "  Mother  Hoit "  undertook  to  flash  some  powder, 
she  inadvertently  held  the  horn  in  her  hand,  which  disappeared 
up  the  chimney,  giving  rise  to  an  expression  iii  common  use 
many  years  after, — "As  quick  as  Mother  Hoit's  powder-horn  !  " 

In  one  corner  of  the  fireplace  stands  the  Dutch  oven,  with  coals 
beneath,  and  upon  its  rimmed  cover.  If  a  fire-cake  is  desired,  the 
dough  is  spread  upon  a  tin,  and  placed  in  front  of  the  ''fore- 
stick," — for  "  bakers  "  and  "  tin  kitchens  "  have  not  yet  made  their 
appearance. 

In  the  evening  the  fire  is  fed  by  pitch  knots,  which  fill  the  room 
with  light.  In  spring,  summer,  and  fall,  when  a  fire  is  not 
needed,  the  only  light  is  a  tallow  candle. 


1809.] 


CIVIL    HISTORY. 


177 


The  women  go  about  the  house  in  their  petticoats  while  doing 
their  work,  but  "  dress  themselves  up  "  in  the  afternoon  to  receive 
the  visits  of  neighbors  and  friends,  who  are  invited  into  the 
"front  room."  The  word  "parlor  "  has  not  come  into  use.  Car- 
pets, except  here  and  there  one  of  home  manufacture,  are  un- 
known. In  summer,  green  pine  boughs  adorn  the  fireplace,  and 
fill  the  room  with  fragrant  odors.  The  floor  is  strewn  with 
clean  white  sand,  gathered  from  the  shores  of  Great  or  Long 
pond,  and  swept  into  curved  lines,  scrolls,  and  Avliorls,  by  a 
broom. 

Of  books  and  papers,  there  is  the  Bible,  and  in  religious 
households,  a  volume,  perhaps,  of  Dr.  Smith's  Sermons.  The 
almanac  hangs  above  the  fireplace,  and  it  is  consulted  daily  "  to 
see  what  the  Aveather  saj's," — whether  the  moon  is  right  to  kill 
hogs,  so  that  the  pork  will  swell  in  the  pot  instead  of  shrinking, — 
whether  the  signs  are  right  for  the  cutting  of  alders.  The  moon, 
according  to  the  almanac,  rules  the  weather,  and  if  the  weather,  a 
great  many  other  things. 

Of  papers,  there  is  the  Concord  Gazette,  published  by  George 
Hough,  which  comes  once  a  week  to  give  the  latest  news  from 
Europe,  with  a  piece  of  poetry,  original  or  selected,  in  one  corner. 
General  intelligence  is  advancing,  and  a  love  for  literature  has 
been  awakened.  There  are  those  in  tov»'n  who  read  Milton's  Par- 
adise Lost,  who  have  read  and  re-read  the  Spectator,  and  all  the 
other  volumes  in  the  Social  Library.   Select  schools  are  taught  by 

students    from    Dart-  •, 

mouth  college,  on  Lit- 
tle hill  and  on  the 
Plain,  at  which  young 
gentlemen  and  ladies 
can  take  up  gram- 
mar, philosopliy,  alge- 
bra, and  composition. 
Such  the  general  out- 
lines of  society. 

Til  ere    is    life    on 
King  street,  which  is  hay  scales — see  page  178. 

thronged  with  teams  from  the  towns  farther  north,— from  Han- 
over, Haverhill,  Montpelier,  and  all  the  northern  section  of  New 
12 


178  CIVIL   HISTORY.  [1811. 

Hampshire  and  Yermont.  The  traders  do  a  large  business  in 
barter,  taking  farm  produce  of  every  kind. 

By  Capt.  Benjamin  Oak's  stable  stand  the  hay-scales,  a  pon- 
derous contrivance  of  levers  and  pullej's  and  winches,  by  which 
the  load  is  lifted  and  weighed. 

Droves  of  cattle  and  sheep,  on  their  way  to  Brighton  market, 
fill  the  air  with  clouds  of  dust. 

The  stage  has  made  its  appearance,  taking  the  place  of  the 
post-rider.  Society  everywhere  is  on  the  move,  feeling  the  vigor 
of  life. 

THE    COLD    FRIDAY. 

1810.  Friday,  the  19th  of  January,  was  one  of  the  coldest  days 
ever  experienced  in  New  England.  The  wind  blew  a  hurricane, 
unroofing  buildings  and  destroying  orchards.  No  deaths  occurred 
from  freezing,  in  Boscawen,  but  in  other  localities  men  and  cattle 
exposed  were  frozen  to  death. 

Application  was  made  by  some  of  the  citizens  of  Salisbury  and 
Boscawen  for  a  road  from  Corser  hill  to  Sweatt's  mill.  The  town 
opposed  it.  The  court's  aid  was  invoked  by  those  desiring  the 
highway.  The  town  appointed  Ezekiel  Webster,  who  had  become 
a  citizen,  as  their  agent,  instructing  him  "  to  make  all  the  farce 
he  can  by  himself  &  evidence  at  the  court."  The  court,  however, 
thought  that  the  highway  was  needed,  and  it  was  laid  out  the 
following  year. 

At  the  annual  meeting,  the  school  committee  under  the  new 
law  made  their  fijst  report.  (See  Educational  History.)  The 
Stirrup-iron  bridge  was  rebuilt  during  the  year. 

The  first  annual  meeting  of  the  New  Hampshire  General  Asso- 
ciation of  Congregational  Ministers  was  held  at  the  East  meeting- 
house. (See  Ecclesiastical  History.)  It  was  an  important  meeting 
in  many  respects,  and  was  followed  by  a  great  religious  awaken- 
ing. 

THE   town's    poor. 

1811.  That  the  town  intended  to  care  well  for  its  j^oor  is 
manifest  from  the  conditions  under  which  'Hhe  keeping"  of 
Susanna  Danforth's  children  were  sold. 

[From  the  Records.] 
"  Whoever  bids  off  either  of  the  children  are  to  furnish  them  with 


1812.J  CIVIL    HISTORY,  179 

suitable  &  sufficient  meats,  drinks,  clothing,  give  them  an  opportunity 
to  go  to  school  when  there  is  one  kept  in  the  district  where  they  may 
live  &  return  them  to  the  selectmen  on  the  second  Tuesday  of  March 
1813,  with  as  good  cloaths  as  were  received.  All  doctors  bills  to  be  paid 
by  the  town  under  the  direction  of  the  selectmen. " 

As  the  children,  with  the  exception  of  the  eldest,  were  too 
yoimg  to  be  of  service,  the  amount  paid  represents  the  price  of 
board  at  that  period  : 

"  Thomas  8  years  old  to  Capt  Silas  Call  at  17  cts  per  Aveek 
"  Mary  6,  to  Geo  T  Flanders  at  36  cts. 
"  Patty  to  Sam  B  Gerrish  at  40  cts. 
"  Laura  2,  to  Leonard  Seuter  47  cts." 

BASHAN    MINING    COMPANY. 

In  1812,  Col.  John  Farmer,  Abraham  Burbank,  Moses  Gerrish, 
William  Danforth,  Moses  Tyler,  of  Hopkinton,  Little  Burbank, 
Moses  Little,  and  other  citizens,  formed  an  association  known  as 
the  Bashan  Mining  Co.  It  w\t,s  thought  that  lead  and  silver 
would  be  found  on  land  owned  by  William  Danforth.  Ex- 
travagant stories  were  current  in  regard  to  lead  mines  known  to 
the  Indians.  It  was  currently  reported  that  the  Indians  knew 
a  place  where  they  could  cut  out  the  lead  with  their  knives,  and 
thus  obtain  bullets.  If  the  citizens  had  known  aught  of  mineral- 
ogy, they  would  have  rejected  such  fictions  at  once,  for  lead 
never  exists,  in  its  native  state,  in  such  a  form. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  association  was  at  the  house  of  Abra- 
ham Burbank,  Oct.  27,  1812.  Moses  Gerrish  was  chosen  modera- 
tor, and  John  Farmer  clerk. 

At  the  second  meeting  it  was 

'^  Voted  that  Johu  Holmes  shall  have  a  share  in  said  mine,  providing 
that  he  will  show  the  company  where  the  real  substance  of  Lead  is,  & 
not  without, 

"  Voted  that  application  be  made  to  Israel  Diamond  of  Goffstown  for 
the  discovery  of  the  mine  if  Holmes  should  fail. 

"  Voted  that  application  be  made  to  Doctor  Withs  [Withem]  of  Ply- 
mouth if  Holmes  &  Diamond  should  fail." 

These  gentlemen — Holmes,  Diamond,  and  Withem — were  sup- 
posed to  be  able  to  locate  a  mine  by  the  use  of  witch-hazel  rods, 
which,  when  carried  in  the  hand,  would  point  to  the  precious 
metal. 


180  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1813. 

Which  of  these  located  the  mine  is  not  known,  but  operations 
began  near  William  Dauforth's  house.  A  hole  thirty  or  forty 
feet  deep  was  dug,  but  no  silver  or  lead  was  found,  and  the  mine 
was  soon  abandoned. 

SHEEP. 

Attention  was  given  to  sheep  husbandry.  Dea.  Enoch  Little 
procured  some  French  Merinos,  and  was  the  first  to  introduce 
fine  wooled  sheep. 

1813.  The  town  voted  "  to  give  the  soldiers  in  Boscawen  [mi- 
litia] in  lieu  of  meats  and  drinks  thirty-four  cents  to  be  delivered 
to  the  captains  to  be  distributed  to  each  soldier." 

BURIAL-GROUND. 

"  Voted  that  Mr  Beiija  Stickney,  Lt  James  Giddings  &  Capt  Heze- 
kiah  Fellows  be  a  committee  to  lay  out  the  westwardly  buryiug 
ground." 

This  is  the  burial-ground  around  the  Webster  town-house.  Up 
to  this  period,  the  burial-place  at  the  west  end  was  on  the  east 
side  of  the  road  leading  from  Mutton  road  south  to  Pleasant 
street.  The  spot  is  now  overgrown  with  large  trees.  Some  of 
the  graves  are  still  to  be  seen. 

"sheep  fever." 

The  body  politic  is  subject,  like  the  human  system,  to  epidem- 
ics. The  first  epidemic  seizing  the  farmers  of  Boscawen  was  the 
"sheep  fever"  of  1813.  The  war  with  England  had  stopped  the  im- 
portation of  all  foreign  fabrics.  There  was  a  great  demand  for 
woollen  goods,  and  a  consequent  enhancement  in  the  price  of 
wool  and  the  value  of  sheep.  Everybody  went  into  sheep  hus- 
bandry. 

Of  the  progress  of  the  "fever,"  we  quote  from  the  day-book  of 
Dea.  Enoch  Little,  Sr. : 

"  October  1813.  A  speculation  begins  about  this  time  in  sheej).  Sold 
15  ewe  lambs  at  $5.50.  Sold  cloth  at  Salem  to  the  amount  of  90  dol- 
lars. 

"  November.     The  sheep  speculation  continues. 

"  December.     Sold  a  k  blood  ewe  for  12  dollars. 

"  An  extraordinary  speculation." 


1814.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  .  181 

The  sudden  closing  of  the  war  in  1815,  and  the  rapid  increase  of 
flocks,  brought  about  a  reaction  ;  and  the  fall  in  prices  was  as  sud- 
den and  great  as  the  rise  had  been,  bringing  disaster  to  those  who 
had  involved  themselves  in  debt. 

SWINE. 

•'  Voted  thatswiae  shall  not  go  at  large  on  town  street  [King]  begin- 
ning at  Mill  bridge,  by  widow  Mary  Pearson's  house  &  running  to  the 
town  line  by  Col  Isaac  Chandlers,  from  the  I'*'  day  of  April  to  the  last 
day  of  October,  under  no  less  penalty  than  one  dollar  for  each  offence 
to  be  recovered  by  any  person  who  will  sue  for  the  same." 

It  appears  that  the  check-list  was  not  in  use  at  the  annual 
meetings  prior  to  1814.  At  the  meeting  the  previous  year,  the 
selectmen  were  directed  "  to  make  an  alphabetical  list  of  the  legal 
voters  some  time  before  the  next  annual  March  meeting,  &  that 
the  following  mode  of  voting  be  adopted :  The  voters  shall  bring 
in  their  votes  for  state  &  county  officers  on  the  same  piece  of 
paper  designating  the  office  against  the  persons  name  voted  for,  & 
as  each  person  votes  his  name  shall  be  called,  by  the  moderator 
&  checked  on  the  list  of  voters  by  the  town  clerk." 

VTASHINGTOX   BENEVOLENT    SOCIETY. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  war  with  England  there  was  a  strong 
opposition  to  its  prosecution,  by  the  federal  party,  which  was  the 
dominant  party  in  the  town.  But  the  opposition  gradually  weak- 
ened. Although  a  "  Washington  Benevolent  society  "  had  been 
formed  in  the  town  as  in  other  sections  of  the  country, — a  politi- 
cal rather  than  a  benevolent  organization, — the  opposition  gradu- 
ally weakened,  and  the  town  passed  the  following  votes  : 

THE    WAR    WITH    GKEAT    BRITAIN. 

"  Voted  that  the  town  will  give  each  soldier  detached  for  the  defence 
of  the  Port  &  harbor  of  Portsmouth  five  dollars,  if  the  Legislature  at 
their  next  session  do  not  make  some  provision  for  them." 

"  Voted  that  the  selectmen  pay  Lt  Thomas  Towne  his  account  for  the 
expenses  of  the  1st  detachment  of  soldiers  in  marching  to  Portsmouth 
unless  the  Legislature  make  provision  at  their  next  session. 

"  Voted  that  the  last  draft  of  soldiers  be  made  ecpial  with  the  first  for 
their  expenses  marching  to  Portsmouth." 


182  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1815. 

1815.  The  year  -was  marked  by  another  great  religious  awaken- 
ing, which  began  at  the  east  end  and  extended  over  the  town. 
"Three-days"  meetings  were  held  in  the  East  meeting-house. 
Frequent  meetings  were  held  in  school-houses  and  at  private  resi- 
dences, and  almost  the  entire  community  was  led  to  a  higher  moral 
and  spiritual  life. 

BOSCAWEX    MORAL    SOCIETY. 

The  war  of  1812  left  its  mark  on  society.  Through  the  suc- 
ceeding years  there  was  a  deterioration  of  morals.  Soldiers  re- 
turning from  camp  brought  with  them  the  vices  of  camp  life. 
Profanity  was  common,  and  there  was  a  growing  disregard  for  the 
Sabbath.  To  correct  the  evil,  "  moral  societies  "  were  formed  in 
many  of  the  towns.  One  was  organized  in  Boscawen,  April  12, 
1815.  The  particular  object  of  the  society  was  set  forth  in  the 
second  article : 

"  The  object  of  this  Society  shall  be  the  suppression  of  immorality  of 
every  description,  particularly  Sabbath  breakiug,  intemperance,  profan- 
ity &  falsehood.'' 
The  duties  of  the  members  are  set  forth  in  the  ninth  article : 

"It  shall  be  the  duty  of  all  the  members  to  exert  their  influence  to 
suppress  immorality  of  every  description,  particularly  Sabbath  break- 
ing, intemperance,  profaneness,  &  falsehood;  to  endeavor  to  reclaim  the 
immoral  by  friendly  admonition;  to  aid  &  support  Tithingmen  &  all 
civil  officers  in  the  faithful  execution  of  the  laws,  &  finally  to  encourage 
the  rising  generation  in  a  constant  attendance  on  public  worship  &  in 
the  habits  of  sobriety,  morality  &  industry." 

The  Sabbath  act  was  enforced  by  tithing-meu  and  selectmen,  as 
witness  the  following  receipt : 

"  Boscawen  Dec  18,  1817. 
«'  Received  of  Benjamin  Little  Esq  four  Dollars  it  being  for  fines  for 
the  breach  of  the  Sabbath  act   against  Hezekiah    Fellows,  Benjamin 
Pettengill  3'i  &  Amos  Couch  received  by  us. 

Moses  Gerrish      ?  select- 
u|;4  00  Daniel  Pillsbury  ^    men" 

The  law,  however,  was  gradually  becoming  a  dead  letter. 

"  State  of  New  Hampshire 
"  Hillsborough  SS 
"  To  Ezekiel  Webster  one  of  the  justices  of  the  Peace  within  &  for 


1816.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  183 

said  county  complains  Samuel  Chadwick  Tytbing  mau  of  Boscawen  in 
said  county  on  Oath  against  Salstonstall  Sawyer  &  Joseph  Calef  for 
that  the  said  Sawyer  &  Calef  at  said  Boscawen  on  the  eighteenth  day 
of  February  instant,  commonly  called  the  Lord's  day,  did  travel  with 
their  sleighs  on  said  day  in  said  Boscawen  against  the  power  of  the 
Statute  in  such  case  made  and  provided  &  against  the  peace  &  dignity 
of  the  state. 

"  Whereof  he  prays  process  may  issue  against  them  and  that  they 
may  be  dealt  with  as  the  law  directs. 

"  Samuel  Chadwick." 
"  Hillsborough  SS 

"  Feb  19,  1816  Personally  appearing  Samuel  Chadwick  aforesaid  & 
made  oath  to  the  truth  of  the  foregoing  complaint. 

"  Ezekiel  Webster 

"  Jus  Peace." 

"  State  of  Xew  Hampshire 
"  Hillsborough  SS 

"  To  the  sheriff  of  the  county  of  Hillsborough  or  to  either  of  his  depu- 
ties or  to  either  constable  of  Boscawen  in  said  county  greeting: 
"  Forasmuch  as  the  foregoing  complaint  has  been  made  to  me  you 
are  hereby  commanded  forthwith  to  apprehend  the  bodies  of  the  said 
Sawyer  &  Calef  &  then  have  them  before  me  or  any  other  jus- 
tice of  the  Peace  within  &  for  said  county  that  they  may  be  dealt  with 
as  touching  the  foregoing  complaint  as  to  law  &  justice  shall  apper- 
tain. 

''  Given  under  ray  hand  &  seal  this  19"'  day  of  February  181G 

"Ezekiel  Webster  Jus  Peace." 
'' Hillsborough  SS 
"Feb  19,  1816 

"In  obedience  to  this  precept  I  have  taken  the  bodies  of  the  within 
named  Calef  and  Sawyer  and  now  have  them  before  Joseph  Gerrish 
Esq  to  be  dealt  with  as  the  Law  directs. 

"'  Joseph  Atkinson 

"  Constable." 
"  Received  of  the  within  named  Calef  &  Sawyer  their  fines  &  com. 

"Joseph  Atkinson 

"  Constable." 

SUNDAY-SCHOOLS. 

During  the  year  tlie  first  Sunday-scliools  were  established  in 
Boscawen.  It  is  probable  that  individuals  gathered  some  classes 
in  the  school-districts  for  recitations  of  the  catechism  prior  to  this 


184  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1816. 

date,  but  tlie  beginning  of  the  system  dates  from  tliis  year.     (See 
Ecclesiastical  Hist.) 

IRON'      AXLES. 

Up  to  1816  no  iron  axles  for  wagons  or  carriages  had  been 
seen  in  the  town.  In  the  spring,  Mr.  Joseph  Ames  and  Mr. 
Nathan  Plummer,  having  taken  a  raft  of  lumber  to  Medford,  pur- 
chased the  running  part  of  an  old  stage-coach  in  Boston,  and  a 
pair  of  horses,  loaded  the  team  with  salt,  and  brought  into  town 
the  first  iron  axles  in  use. 

AN     UNPRODUCTIVE     YEAR. 

There  seems  to  have  been  a  period,  from  1808  to  1816,  marked 
by  unusual  climatic  conditions.  Mr.  Price  speaks  of  it  as  a  period 
of  "  uncommon  seasons  and  dearths."  The  year  1816  was  preemi- 
nently a  season  of  climatic  changes  and  of  low  temperature.  Rev. 
Mr.  Price  says  : 

"  The  whole  face  of  nature  appeared  shrouded  in  gloom.  The  lamps 
of  heaven  kept  their  orbits,  but  their  Hght  was  cheerless.  The  bosom 
of  the  earth  in  a  midsummer  day  was  covered  with  a  wintry  mantle; 
and  man  and  beast  and  bird  sickened  at  the  prospect.  Autumn  returns, 
alas!  not  to  fill  the  arm  with  the  generous  sheaf,  but  the  eye  with  the 
tear  of  disappointment!  On  the  6th  of  June  the  day  of  general  election 
the  snow  fell  several  inches  deep,  followed  by  a  cold  &  frosty  niglit;  & 
on  the  following  day  snow  fell  &  frost  continued.  Also  July  9th  a 
deep  &  deadly  frost,  which  killed  or  palsied  most  vegetables.  The  little 
corn  Avhich  had  the  appearance  of  maturity,  was  destitute  of  its  natural 
taste  or  substance;  &  yet  the  providence  of  God  was  bonntiful  in  sup- 
plying the  article  of  bread  from  the  crops  of  rye,  which  were  uncom- 
monly good.'' 

From  the  day-book  of  Dea.  Enoch  Little,  Sr.,  we  have  the  fol- 
lowing concise  but  expressive  summary  of  the  year  : 

"Dec  31,  1816 

*'  General  observations  on  the  year  past.  January  was  cold  till  the 
latter  part,  then  the  snow  went  off  &  left  the  ground  bare  till  the  18th 
of  February  with  very  cold  weather.  Snowed  again  &  there  was  a 
spell  of  sledding.  The  spring  was  very  cold  &  backward— hay  very 
scarce  &  a  great  deal  of  corn  given  to  cattle  which  made  bread  scarce. 

'■'May.  Generally  cold,  but  we  planted  as  early  as  common  but  corn 
was  slow  in  coming  up. 


1817.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  185 

"June.  Very  cold.  The  6"s  7"^  &  8"^  it  snoM-ed.  The  grouiKl  -was 
covered  on  the  hight  [the  heiglit  o£  land  between  the  Merrimack  and 
Connecticut]  &  in  the  north  part  of  the  state  it  was  a  foot  deep. 

'■'June  10.     A  frost  killed  corn  on  frosty  land.     Very  hot  day. 

'^July  9.     Frost  killed  both  corn  &  taters  on  pine  land.     Very  dry. 

"  July  17.  A  fast  on  account  of  the  drouth.  Our  hay  is  very  short, 
perhaps  k  a  crop — no  corn  silked  yet  &  little  hope  of  a  crop. 

'■'■August.  Very  dry.  Grain  very  good  indeed.  The  woods  &  fences 
all  on  fire. 

"Sept  25  tV  26.     Cold  &  dry  &  frosty. 

''Sept.  27.  Killed  almost  all  the  corn  in  2'^ew  England,  &  not  half  of 
it  was  fit  to  roast. 

"Oct.  No  corn  of  consequence.  From  4  acres  I  shall  not  get  8 
bushels  of  corn  fit  to  eat  though  I  planted  my  warmest  land. 

"Nov.  On  frosty  laud  the  orcliards  were  barren,  but  on  warm  land 
there  was  a  moderate  crop  of  apples.  Cattle  to  hay  early  on  account 
of  short  feed. 

"Dec.  Generally  cold.  Sledding  the  10"^.  Sheep  all  to  barn.  The 
prospects  as  to  fodder  are  alarming." 

1817. 

"  Jan.  4.  A  little  rain — warm  the  cattle  &  sheep  get  some  fodder 
by  grazing.     A  great  deal  of  bare  ground. 

"  —  8.     Snowy.     Warm  at  night. 

"  —  18.  Thunder,  lightning  &  rain  last  night.  Snowy  forenoon, 
windy  &  drifty  afternoon. 

"  —  19.     Sabbath,  cold  windy  &  drifty.    Xo  meeting  in  afternoon, 

"  —  22.  Did  not  dare  stay  in  the  woods  for  fear  of  freezing  my 
feet. 

"  —  2.3.     Moderating. 

"  —  24.     Snowed  six  inches  last  night  &  three  to  day. 

"  —  27.     Cold  &  Avindy.     Hay  very  scarce, 

"  —  28.     Coldest  day. 

"  —  30.     Very  cold.     Began  to  give  my  sheep  oil  meal. 

'■'Feh.  If..     Frozen  ears  are  common. 

"  5.     Cellars  freeze  hard. 

"6.     A  little  warmer. 

"  13.     A  cold  winter. 

"March  30.  Sabbath.  Pleasant.  Good  sleighing.  People  travel  the 
river  yet. 

"April  If,.     Our  sink  has  not  thawed  out  this  winter  yet. 

"April  7.  Cleared  my  sink  of  ice  which  has  not  been  clear  this  win- 
ter, 

"  —  8,     My  sheep  depend  wholly  on  the  barn.     Some  bare  ground. 


186  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1817. 

Sickly  with  typhus  fever.  Hay  scarce  &  dear  from  $20  to  $4:0  per  ton. 
Corn $2  rye  from  S|l,50  to  $2.  Oats  1.  Wheat  $2,50  to  ^3,00  cheese 
12|-  butter  25,  pork  18. 

''Feb  11.     Cold  &  drifty. 

"  13     Drifted  some. 

**  14     Very  cold  &  windy. 

"  15     Shockhig  cold  &  windy  last  night.     Cold  morning. 

"  17     Moderate  &  cloudy. 

"  24     Drifting  snow  storm. 

"  25     Drifting. 

"  27     Two  heavy  snow  storms  this  week. 

"  28     Cloudy  &  warm. 

"3/ar  1     A  great  snow  storm  last  night.     Snowy  to  day. 

"  —  2  Sabbath.  Roads  drifted  full.  No  horse  or  sleigh  to  meeting 
from  this  district. 

"  G.      Warm. 

"    7     Windy  &  thawy 

"12     Cold  &  drifty. 

"  13     Cold. 

"16     Pleasant. 

"il/ar  19.     Cold  &  drifty,  bitter  day. 

«'  _  20     Very  cold  &  drifty. 

«<  _  21     Windy. 

"  —  22     AVarm 

"  —  24     Snow 

"  _  25     Warm 

"  —  26     Snowy. 

"  —  27     Cold,  windy,  drifty 

"  —  28.  Snow  3  feet  deep  &  weather  cold,  hay  scarce  and  dear  ^30 
per  ton.  Wheat  !52,67  per  bush,  corn  &  rye  $2,00  pork  &  beef,  butter 
&  cheese  high  &  people  poor.     A  windy,  drifty,  blustering  day. 

'■'April  9.     Good  sleding. 

"  16.     Sheep  out  all  day — half  fodder. 

"17  Pigeons  fly  by  millions  The  snow  banks  go  by  wholesale — 
warm. 

"  18     Pigeons  flew  thick. 

<'  19     Froze  hard.     Snowed. 

*'  21     Ploughed  with  mittens 

"  22  Froze  hard.  Sheep  to  barn  night  &  morning — to  grass  day 
time. 

"  24.     Snowed.     Ground  white 

'  •  25     Snow  two  inches  deep. 

"  30     Sowed  wheat 


1819.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  187 

'■'■Man  7  Plowed  for  planting.  A  few  snow  banks  yet.  My  wheat 
sown  last  \yednesday  (1  week)  is  np. 

"  10  The  earth  at  length  is  clad  in  richest  green 

Yet  banks  of  snow  are  on  the  mountains  seen. 
"12     Trees  green. 
"  13     Very  cold. 
"  14     Planted  corn." 

The  town  instructed  the  selectmen  "  to  take  special  care  that 
the  law  respecting  idle  persons  be  carried  into  execution,"  and 
also  appointed  a  committee  ''  to  see  what  has  become  of  the  money 
taken  in  iines  for  a  breach  of  the  Sabbath." 

1818.  Four  pews  had  been  sold  in  the  West  meeting-house,  or, 
rather,  ground  for  four,  and  Daniel  Pillsbviry,  Moses  Coffin,  and 
Moses  Fellows  were  chosen  to  collect  the  money,  and  expend  it  in 
repairing  the  house. 

KEV.  MR.    price's    HISTORY. 

1819.  At  the  annual  meeting  the  town  ajjpointed  Eev.  Eben- 
ezer  Price,  Rev.  Samuel  Wood,  and  Dea.  Enoch  Little  a  commit- 
tee to  collate  the  facts  in  regard  to  the  settlement  and  progress  of 
the  town.  The  result  was,  the  publication  in  1823  of  a  pamphlet 
of  116  pages,  prepared  by  Mr.  Price,  entitled  "  A  Chronological 
History  of  Boscawen."     (See  Preface.) 


[1820. 


OHAPTEE    XII. 

FROM  1820   TO    1830. 

JKKOINI  the  establishment  of  Hillsborough  count}-  in  colonial 
^j  days,  Amherst  had  been  the  county  seat.  The  county  was 
large,  and  for  several  years  the  question  of  creating  a  new  county 
had  been  agitated.  The  sense  of  the  town  was  taken  on  the 
question  at  the  annual  meeting  in  1820.  The  vote  was  176  in 
favor  and  46  against  the  proposition. 

At  the  same  meeting,  several  pews  in  the  West  meeting-house 
were  sold,  which  had  previously  been  sold  but  not  paid  for.  The 
town's  interest  in  the  house  was  in  the  frame  alone,  and  the  ground 
for  the  pews.  The  town  expended  for  the  frame,  when  the  house 
was  erected,  $104.  The  money  derived  from  the  sale  of  the  pew 
ground  had  been  applied  to  finishing  the  house.  Here  was  an 
anomalous  state  of  affairs,  and  the  town's  interest  in  the  house 
was  the  cause  of  a  great  deal  of  trouble  and  disturbance  to  the 
people  of  the  west  end. 

THE    CHRISTIAN     UXION    SOCIETY. 

It  has  been  said  that  Protestantism  is  the  very  genius  of  freedom  ; 
that  to  be  true  to  itself  it  must  ever  be  protesting ;  and  that  from 
this  cause  have  come  the  one  hundred  or  more  denominations  of 
Protestants  in  religion. 

Prom  the  settlement  of  the  town  to  the  year  1820  there  had  been 
no  organized  dissent  to  the  theological  doctrines  of  the  Trinitarian 
Congregational  church ;  but  in  every  free  community  there  will  be 
differences  of  opinion  in  politics  and  religion.  In  the  nature  of 
things,  it  cannot  be  otherwise.  The  time  had  come  for  a  new 
religious  society  to  make  its  appearance  in  the  town. 


6v 


"H 


^^/7^l£72Cl. 


U 


l9-iyYjn/i 


1822.]  CIVIL    HISTORY,  189 

The  legislature  of  1819  passed  a  general  law  in  regard  to  the 
organization  of  religious  societies,  and  during  the  year  1820  (see 
Ecclesiastical  Hist.)  the  Christian  Union  Society  was  formed. 
The  society  having  made  application  for  its  proportion  of  the  par- 
sonage money,  a  committee  was  appointed  at  the  annual  meeting 
of  the  town,  in  March,  to  report  what  proportion  belonged  to  the 
new  society.  Up  to  this  time,  the  money  had  been  divided  be- 
tween the  Boscawen  Religious  Society  and  the  Westerly  Kelig- 
ious  Society. 

The  Christian  Union  Society  also  demanded  their  right  in  the 
use  of  the  West  meeting-house.  Some  of  the  members  of  the 
society  were  pew-owners,  while  all  the  members  claimed  a  moiety 
under  the  town's  ownership  of  the  frame. 

The  committee  reported  that  the  Christian  Union  Society  was 
entitled  to  the  use  of  the  house  "  one  fourth  part  of  the  time  for 
six  months  next  ensuing ;  "  and  in  regard  to  the  parsonage  fund, 
that  said  society  was  "  entitled  to  an  equal  share  of  the  parsonage 
money  not  otherwise  appropriated." 

The  town  was  dissatisfied  with  the  report,  and  it  was  recom- 
mitted for  the  purpose  of  having  a  report  of  all  the  facts  in  the 
case. 

1821,  At  the  meeting,  held  November  5th,  for  the  choice  of 
electors,  the  town  appointed  Ezekiel  Webster  and  the  selectmen 
a  committee  to  confer  with  Concord  in  respect  to  building  a 
bridge  across  Contoocook  river. 

At  a  subsequent  meeting,  held  December  17th,  the  town  au- 
thorized the  committee  to  build  and  su2:)port  such  a  bridge,  to  be 
located  near  the  residence  of  Richard  Elliott. 

1822.  At  the  March  meeting  the  sense  of  the  town  was  again 
taken  in  regard  to  establishing  a  new  county, — ^yeas,  196 ;  nays, 
37. 

The  committee,  to  whom  was  recommitted  the  rejiort  in  reo-ard 
to  the  rights  of  the  Christian  Unioii  Society  in  the  West  meeting- 
house, reported  that  the  amount  of  money  originally  received  from 
the  sale  of  pews  was  $1,838 ;  that  the  Christian  Union  Society 
claimed  pews  amounting  to  f  325.75,  the  Westerly  Religious  Soci- 
ety $894.75,  while  those  not  belonging  to  either  society  held  pews 
valued  at  $618.25. 


190  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1823. 

A  motion  was  made  that  the  Christian  Union  Society  should 
have  their  privileges  in  the  house  ;  but  the  town  voted  to  postpone 
action  till  the  next  annual  meeting. 

At  this  meeting,  the  selectmen  were  instructed  to  settle  with 
Mr.  Price  for  taxes,  which  were  assessed  by  the  town  and  paid  by 
him  before  the  statute  was  made  providing  for  taxing  the  polls 
and  estates  of  clergymen. 

FARM   FOR   THE    POOR. 

The  poor  of  the  town  were  set  up  for  the  last  time  at  vendue, 
the  town  voting  to  appoint  a  committee  to  purchase  a  farm.  The 
committee  consisted  of  Benjamin  Little,  Nathan  Hummer, 
Thomas  Coffin,  Isaac  Gerrish,  and  John  Cogswell,  who  were  made 
overseers. 

The  price  paid  for  maintenance  of  the  poor  was  from  19  cents 
to  $1.00  per  week. 

The  committee  purchased  the  farm  of  Mr.  Joseph  Sargent,  on 
Hio^h  street,  near  Salisbury, — tlae  first  establishment  of  the  kind  in 
the  vicinity.  The  price  paid  for  it  was  $1,500;  for  stock  and 
furniture,  $638;  for  superintendence,  $120.  The  cost  of  main- 
taining the  poor  this  first  year  upon  the  farm  was  $292.83. 

1823.  Some  of  the  citizens  of  Hopkinton,  seeing  the  effort  to 
create  a  new  county,  with  Concord  for  the  shire  town,  made  an 
effort  to  throw  the  tide  of  travel  tending  to  Concord  in  a  new  di- 
rection. Application  was  made  to  the  court  for  a  road,  beginning 
in  Andover,  on  the  4th  New  Hampshire  turnpike,  and  following 
down  the  valley  of  the  Blackwater  through  West  Salisbury; 
thence  via  Knight's  meadow  and  White  plain  to  Davisville,  Con- 
toocookville,  and  Hopkinton,  and  thence  to  Manchester.  The 
project  was  strenuously  urged  by  Gen.  Aquilla  Davis,  of  Warner; 
and  the  road  was  laid  out  by  the  court.  Such  a  highway  would 
have  been  of  little  benefit  to  the  town ;  and  at  a  meeting  held 
January  10th  the  matter  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  Ezekiel 
Webster,  Esq.,  who  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  reversal  of  the 
order. 

At  the  annual  meeting,  in  March,  the  town  voted  to  equalize 
the  school  districts. 

The  town  also  voted  that  the  Christian  Union  Society  should 


1825.]  CIVIL    HISTORY,  191 

have  tlie  use  of  the  West  meeting-house  one  fourth  part  of  the 
time.  The  Westerly  Religious  Society  questioned  the  town's 
right  to  control  the  house,  carried  the  matter  to  the  superior 
court,  and  obtained  a  decision,  that,  where  members  of  one  or 
more  religious  societies  held  pews  in  a  house,  the  town  could  not 
exercise  jurisdiction. 

Pending  the  decision,  the  Christian  Union  Society  took  posses- 
sion of  the  house,  on  a  Sunday  morning.  The  Westerly  Eeligious 
Society  thereupon  withdrew,  and  built  the  meeting-hovise  on  Cor- 
ser  hill.     (See  Ecclesiastical  Hist.) 

GREAT    FRESHET. 

1824.  A  great  amount  of  rain  fell  on  the  11th  and  12th  of 
February.  Enoch  Little's  day-book  contains  the  following  record: 

"  Feb  11.     Rained  all  last  night  &  part  of  the  day  by  spells. 

"Feb  12.     Rained  all  last  night,  snow  all  gone. 

"  Feb  IG.  Ou  Merrimack  river  one  of  the  piers  of  Ilooksefc  bridge 
gone,  but  not  rendered  impassable.  Concord  lower  bridge  two  stone 
piers  &  a  part  of  the  body  of  the  bridge  carried  off.  Concord  upper 
bridge  new,  one  wooden  pier  &  about  two  thirds  of  the  body  carried 
off.  Canterbury  carried  off.  Republican  bridge,  a  new  one  between 
Salisbury  &  Sanbornton  [in  Franklin]  gone.  Smith's  bridge  at  New 
Hampton  also.  On  Contoocook  river  Four  bridges  in  Henniker  &  a 
number  of  mills,  among  them  those  lately  erected  by  R.  M.  Wallace  at 
an  expense  of  $3000  carried  away.  Three  bridges  in  Warner,  four  in 
Weare  on  the  Piscataquog.  A  number  on  the  Connecticut  &  White 
rivers  carried  away  &  many  mills,  dams  &  other  bridges  damaged.  Im- 
mense quantities  of  timber  which  had  been  prepared  &  carried  to  the 
bank  of  the  Merrimack  were  swept  away  by  the  flood." 

1825.  The  town  had  increased  in  population  to  an  extent  that 
entitled  the  citizens  to  two  representatives,  and  a  fjecond  repre- 
sentative was  accordingly  elected. 

Some  citizens  not  being  satisfied  with  the  valuations  as  re- 
turned by  the  selectmen,  twelve  assessors  were  elected  to  make  the 
valuation  for  the  year. 

No  action  in  regard  to  the  regulation  of  schools  was  had  till 
this  year,  when  the  following  resolutions  were  passed : 

'■'■Resolved  That  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  school  committee  to  ex- 
amine all  teachers  of  schools  for  the  towns;  to  recommend  books  to  be 


192  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1827. 

used  as  classick's  to  give  direction  Avlien  needful  for  the  government  of 
schools;  to  signify  their  approbation  or  disapprobation  of  the  teachers 
employed  to  the  district  committee  if  required;  and  to  give  such  rec- 
ommendalioiis  as  may  tend  to  promote  the  general  interests  of  Litera 
ture. 

''  Eesohml  that  no  teacher  shall  be  considered  as  qualified  to  instruct 
until  approbated  by  the  school  committee;  or  entitled  to  his  wages  un- 
til such  certificate  of  approbation  is  exhibited  to  the  collector  or  treas- 
urer who  pays  the  money." 

REGIMEXTAL     MUSTER. 

The  muster  of  the  21st  regiment  -was  held  this  year  in  the  field 
west  of  the  house  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Tilton,  in  Webster.  The 
field  now  (1877)  is  mostly  overgrown  with  trees.  The  sham  fight 
was  carried  on  with  such  vigor  that  one  of  the  cavalry  horses  was 
killed  by  running  upon  a  bayonet. 

THE    FRESHET    OF    1826. 

The  summer  of  1826  was  very  dry.  "With  the  drought  came 
innumerable  grasshoppers.  On  Monday,  August  28th,  rain  began 
to  fall  in  the  forenoon — occasional  showers,  accompanied  by  thun- 
der. From  three  o'clock  till  ten  p.  m.  it  fell  in  a  continuous  tor- 
rent,— more  than  twelve  inches  falling  in  six  hours.  Every  bridge 
across  the  Blackwater,  with  the  exception  of  that  at  Sweatt's 
mills,  was  swept  away.  The  water  ran  through  the  ravines  west 
of  the  village  at  Sweatt's  mills,  and  also  took  the  short  cut  from 
the  hend  near  the  residence  of  Mr.  Orlando  Fitts  to  the  mills  near 
Samuel  Little's.  The  roads  were  very  much  washed.  The  dam- 
age in  other  towns  was  equally  great.  At  the  White  Mountains 
occurred  the  slide  by  which  the  Willey  family  lost  their  lives.  It 
has  ever  been  known  as  "  the  great  August  freshet." 

The  town  voted  at  the  annual  meeting  to  appoint  sextons  to 
have  charge  of  the  several  gravej^ards,  and  that  all  graves  should 
be  dug  at  the  town's  expense. 

1827.  Tlie  town  voted  that  the  letter  B  be  the  town  seal  for 
weight  and  measures. 

The  town  voted  that  cattle,  sheep,  or  swine  should  not  run  at 
large  :  ^'provided  however  that  the  selectmen  may  on  application 


1828.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  193 

give  licence  to  any  poor  person  to  let  one  milcli  cow  run  at  large," 
which  entirely  defeated,  the  object  of  the  b3^-law.  Subsequently 
the  town  voted  that  no  cattle  should  run  at  large. 

1828.  The  town  voted  to  instruct  the  selectmen  "  to  cause  the 
turnpike  gate  to  be  removed  from  the  town's  road." 

At  the  ballot  for  electors  this  year  420  votes  were  cast,  one  of 
the  largest  ballots  in  the  history  of  the  town. 

The  taverners  and  store-keepers  licensed  to  sell  ardent  spirits 
were  Jacob  Gerrish,  Fish  street,  taverner;  James  West,  Plain,  tav- 
erner ;  Keuben  Johnson,  Fisherville,  taverner ;  Worcester  Webster, 
Plain,  store  ;  Daniel  Corser,  Corser  hill,  taverner;  John  Greenough, 
Plain,  store ;  Reuben  Greeley,  taverner ;  H.  &  M.  Fellows,  Corser 
hill,  store. 

The  town  suffered  a  great  loss  in  the  death  of  its  foremost  citi- 
zen, Ezekiel  Webster,  who  fell  dead  wliile  making  a  plea  before 
the  Merrimack  bar  in  the  court-house  at  Concord,  April  10th. 
The  funeral  was  on  the  following  Sunday,  in  the  afternoon,  at- 
tended by  an  immense  concourse  of  people  at  the  meeting-house 
on  the  Plain.     [See  Biography.] 

The  regimental  muster  was  on  the  farm  of  Wm.  Abbott,  on 
Water  street,  now  owned  by  Jeremiah  Chadwick.  A  company 
appeared  in  the  afternoon  dressed  as  Indians,  with  war  paint  on 
their  faces  and  roosters'  feathers  in  their  caps.  They  took  an 
active  part  in  the  sham  fight. 

Two  hearse-houses  were  built  during  the  year, — one  at  the  east 
and  one  at  the  west  end,  both  now  standing  (1877), — and  two 
hearses  procured. 

13 


[1830. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

TEMPERANCE. 

iPlEIOR  to  1830,  there  was  a  general  use  of  spirituous  liquors 
P  throughout  the  country.  Men  took  their  "bitters"  liefore 
brealrfast,  to  give  them  an  appetite.  They  took  a  dram  in  the 
middle  of  the  forenoon  to  "  keep  them  up  "  till  dinner  time.  Af- 
ter dinner  they  drank  again  to  ''  settle  their  stomachs,"  and  must 
have  a  "  night-cap  "  before  going  to  bed.  No  matter  how  poor  a 
man  might  be,  in  his  cupboard  or  somewhere  about  his  premises 
was  a  brown  jug  containing  rum,  gin,  or  brandy. 

Those  who  had  accumulated  propex-ty,  and  were  accounted  pros- 
perous farmers,  furnished  their  cupboards  with  fine  cut  glass  de- 
canters, and  kept  a  generous  supply  of  New  England  and  West 
India  rum,  brandy,  gin,  port  and  Madeira  wines.  In  their  cellars 
were  kegs  of  cheny  brandy  and  barrels  of  cider.  Cider  was  a 
common  beverage,  and  bread  and  cider  a  common  diet.  A  neigh- 
bor, entering  a  house,  felt  at  liberty  to  help  himself  to  a  drink 
from  the  white  or  brown  mug  always  standing  on  the  table  or 
mantel-shelf,  which  on  cold  winter  days  was  usually  spiced  with 
red  pepper. 

Visitors  were  always  "treated"  with  the  best  liquors  and 
wines  the  house  afforded.  No  matter  what  the  occasion,  be  it 
wedding  or  funeral,  guests  and  mourners  alike  partook  of  the  liq- 
uors wenerously  provided.  Pastor  and  people  alike  replenished 
their  brown  jugs  at  the  stores.  Ministers,  in  making  their  paro- 
chial calls,  were  presented  with  a  glass  of  wine,  either  before  or 
after  prayer.  If  ministers  exchanged  pulpits  on  a  Sabbath,  each 
was  careful  to  have  the  kind  of  liquor  on  hand  which  the  other 
preferred. 


1832.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  195 

It  is  narrated,  that  when  the  General  Association  was  about  to 
meet  in  Boscawen  in  1810,  Eev.  Mr.  Wood  asked  Mrs.  Wood, 
who  knew  the  habits  of  the  neighboring  ministry,  as  to  how 
much  liquor  would  be  needed,  and  if  she  thought  a  gallon  of  rum 
would  be  sufficient.  "No,  my  dear,"  replied  the  wife,  "you 
know  that  Father  Hidden  will  want  a  whole  case  bottle  full  of 
rum  for  himself." 

Eev.  Mr.  Hidden  was  minister  at  Tamworth.  It  is  not  to  be 
supposed  that  he  drank  more  than  his  brothers  in  the  ministry, 
but  that  Mrs.  Wood  knew  he  had  a  liking  for  that  kind  of  liquor. 

Liquor  drinking  was  universal.  In  1824,  when  the  people  of 
Canterbury  w^ere  agitating  the  question  of  building  a  new  meet- 
ing-house, a  committee  was  sent  to  view  the  meeting-house  on 
Corser  hill,  then  just  completed.  They  were  so  hospitably 
"  treated  "  that  the  driver  of  the  double  sleigh  could  not  manage 
the  team,  and  the  entire  party  were  so  ol)livious  of  surrounding 
matters  that  they  were  upset  in  the  ditch. 

No  farmer  thought  of  beginning  haying  without  first  replen- 
ishing his  rum  jugs.  No  enterprise  could  be  undertaken  without 
liquor.  The  largest  trade  of  the  stores  was  in  rum.  At  this  pe- 
riod, Messrs.  Hezekiah  &  Moses  Fellows,  store-keepers  on  Corser 
hill,  frequently  sold  a  hogshead  of  West  India  rum  in  a  week.  The 
traders  on  Boscawen  Plain  doubtless  had  even  a  larger  trade.  An 
inspection  of  old  account  books  of  this  period  shows  that  in  a  ma- 
jority of  the  accounts  are  items  for  liquors  sold  by  the  gallon, 
quart,  pint,  and  glass. 

The  temperance  movement  in  Boscawen  liegan  in  1831.  Jona- 
than Kittredge,  afterwards  of  Canaan,  a  reformed  drunkard,  gave 
lectures  on  temperance  throughout  the  state.  Temperance  meet- 
ings were  held  in  Boscawen,  Eev.  Mr.  Wood  and  Eev.  Mr.  Price 
being  earnest  advocates  of  the  movement.  Many  of  the  promi- 
nent citizens  saw  the  necessity  of  reform,  and  advocated  it.  Meet- 
ings were  held  in  the  school  districts  and  in  the  meeting-houses. 
Other  citizens  conscientiously  opposed  the  movement. 

The  Second  Congregational  church,  Feb.  7,  1832,  at  a  confer- 
ence meeting  held  at  the  house  of  Dea.  Eliphalet  Kilburn, 
adopted  the  following  pledge,  all  the  members  present  but  two 
assenting  to  it : 

'^Resolved,  that  the  ordinary  use  of  ardent  spirits  is  inconsistent  with 


196  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1833. 

the  Christian  character  &  that  we  will  entirely  abstain  from  it  except  as 
a  medicine.    Also: 

^'Resolved  that  all  persons  who  may  hereafter  unite  in  covenant  with 
this  church  shall  be  admitted  on  the  principle  of  entire  abstinence 
from  the  use  of  ardent  sjiirits  except  as  a  medicine." 

A  warm  discussion  was  had, — several  members,  whose  lives  and 
characters  were  beyond  reproach,  earnestly  opposing  it,  on  the 
ground  that  to  sign  a  pledge  was  inconsistent  with  Christian 
freedom. 

The  pledge  was  adopted,  however,  by  a  large  majority.  It  was 
circulated  through  the  community.  On  the  4th  of  July  a  temper- 
ance meeting  was  held  at  the  meeting-house  on  Corser  hill.  The 
light  infantry  military  company  paraded,  marched  to  Dea.  James 
Kilburn's,  and  escorted  the  Martin  Luther  Musical  Society  to  the 
meeting-house,  where  addresses  upon  temperance  was  made,  and 
songs  sung. 

The  churches  and  the  leading  men  in  the  community  having 
engaged  in  the  reform,  public  drinking  soon  became  disreputable. 

1833.  The  temperance  movement  had  not  lost  its  force.  Dur- 
ing the  fall  a  series  of  evening  meetings  was  held  in  the  meeting- 
house on  Corser  hill,  in  which  temperance  was  publicly  discussed. 
Mr.  Amos  Couch,  a  young  joiner  working  with  Mr.  William 
Abbot,  advocated  reform  with  great  abilit3\  The  great  question 
was,  where  the  line  should  be  drawn.  Why  shou^ld  not  cider  be 
included  ?  Men  became  intoxicated  on  cider.  Many  citizens 
were  ready  to  cut  off  distilled  liquors,  but  would  not  discard  the 
use  of  fermented.  Those  opposed  to  the  temperance  movement 
pressed  the  argument  home,  that,  to  be  consistent,  the  reformers 
must  quit  the  use  of  all  that  could  intoxicate.  Some  conscien- 
tious men  saw  that  they  could  not  consistently  ask  their  fellow- 
men  to  give  vip  rum,  while  they  held  on  to  cider.  Both  were  in- 
toxicating when  taken  in  excess.  By  no  haK-way  halting  would 
they  hinder  the  great  movement :  they  discarded  cider,  and  cut 
down  their  apple-trees  ! 

One  of  the  first  to  destroy  his  trees  bearing  only  cider-apples 
was  Thomas  Coffin,  who  had  a  mill  in  which  he  made  nearly  one 
hundred  barrels  of  cider  per  annum  from  his  own  orchards.  Others 
used  the  mill,  which  was  kept  running  from  September  till  Decem- 
ber; but  from  1833  on,  no  cider  was  sold  by  its  owner  till  it  was 
changed  to  vinegar. 


1835.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  197 

A  vigorous  war  was  waged  against  foxes  and  crows.  Forty-two 
foxes'  heads  were  presented  to  the  selectmen  for  the  bounty  of 
twenty-five  cents,  twenty-two  of  them  liaving  been  caught  by 
William  T.  Pillsbury. 

The  selectmen  were  instructed  to  sell  the  town  farm,  and  pur- 
chase another  in  a  more  convenient  location. 

The  toAvn  voted  that  "  those  who  worship  in  the  West  Meeting 
House  should  have  liberty  to  repair  the  house." 

The  selectmen  were  instructed  "  not  to  grant  to  any  one  license 
to  retail  ardent  spirit."  From  unrestricted  sale  and  universal 
drinking,  in  1829,  Boscawen  had  become  a  temperate  community. 

1835.  The  town  passed  a  by-law  to  prevent  cattle  from  run- 
ning at  large,  "  except  the  single  cow  of  a  poor  man,  who  must  be 
licensed  by  the  selectmen." 

The  selectmen  were  instructed  to  have  the  town  buildings 
insured. 

The  town  farm  having  been  sold,  another  was  purchased  of  Mr. 
Samuel  Elliot,  on  Water  street,  for  the  sum  of  $2,000. 

The  town  voted  that  the  Universalist  Society  have  their  pro- 
portion of  the  parsonage  money  with  other  societies,  according 
to  the  tax. 

The  town  also  voted  to  instruct  the  selectmen  to  put  in  force 
the  vagrant  law,  "  to  cause  all  the  persons  in  town  who  are  wast- 
ing their  time  or  property  by  intemperance,  idleness,  or  dissipa- 
tion, to  be  placed  under  guardianship,  or  sent  to  the  house  of 
correction,  and  to  prosecute  all  persons  in  town  who  traffic  in 
ardent  spirits  illegally." 

A  road  having  been  laid  out  by  a  committee  from  court,  avoid- 
ing the  hill  between  the  house  of  Mr.  Hale  Atkinson  and  Mr. 
Nathan  Plummer,  on  Fish  street,  the  town  successfully  opposed 
its  construction  as  laid  out,  and  obtained  a  modification  of  the 
order. 

The  town  voted  that  one  fourth  of  the  highway  taxes  should  be 
reserved  for  winter  service. 

The  town  voted  to  accept  its  proportion  of  the  surplus  revenue 
of  the  United  States,  and  appointed  Hezekiah  Fellows  agent  to 
take  care  of  the  same,  the  money  to  be  loaned  to  the  town. 

The  town  voted  against  a  proposition  submitted  by  the  legisla- 


198  CIVIL    HISTORY,  [1837. 

ture,  in  regard  to  endowing  a  state  asylum  for  tlie  insane, — 66 
yeas,  200  nays. 

During  the  winter  occurred  a  great  rain,  which  carried  off  a 
large  body  of  snow,  and  broke  up  the  rivers,  causing  great  destruc- 
tion of  bridges.  The  Canterbury  bridge,  the  Boscawen  bridge, 
and  four  bridges  in  Concord  were  swept  away. 

1837.  The  town  appointed  a  committee  to  confer  with  the 
pew-owners  in  the  West  meeting-house  in  regard  to  making  it  a 
town-house.  The  committee  consisted  of  Samuel  Chadwick,  Col. 
Moses  Gerrish,  Thomas  Elliot,  Joseph  Ames,  and  Richard  Gage. 

A  controversy  with  the  town  of  Concord  in  regard  to  the  line 
between  the  towns  having  arisen,  the  selectmen  were  instructed 
to  defend  the  town  from  all  encroachments. 

This  controversy  arose  from  the  construction  of  the  factory, 
which  was  erected  in  1836,  both  towns  claiming  it. 

COXTROVERSY  BETWEEN    BOSCAWEX   AXD    CONCORD    ABOUT    THE 
LINE    BETWEEN     THE    TWO    TOWNS. 

The  line,  as  defined  by  the  selectmen  of  both  towns,  June  2, 
1797,  was  as  follows  : 

''  Begin  at  a  stake  and  stones  on  the  southerly  side  of  Contoocook 
river  nearly  opposite  the  middle  of  the  main  branch  where  the  same 
empties  into  Merrimack  being  where  a  forked  white  pine  formerly  stood, 
which  is  the  southeasterly  corner  of  Boscawen  running  west  ]7°  and  35' 
south  by  needle  four  miles  to  a  pitch  pine  tree  which  is  the  northeast 
corner  of  Concord,  on  which  is  a  number  of  letters,  marks  and  figures 
which  we  have  newly  spotted  on  three  sides,  which  bounds  and  line  we 
do  hereby  agree  to  ratify  and  confirm  as  the  bounds  and  line,  and  to  be 
the  bounds  and  line  between  Concord  and  Boscawen. 
"  (Signed)       Winthrop  Carter  ^  Selectmen 
Thomas  Thorla    >-         of 
Daniel  Shepard    )  Boscawen 

John  Odlin        "^  Selectmen 
Piich'i  Ayer         >        of 
Jona.  Eastman  )  Concord 
(Henry  Gerrish  surveyor.)" 
In  1830,  Benjamin  Kimball  bought  the  water-power  on  Contoo- 
cook river,  at  the  upper  falls,  and  the  next  year  erected  a  grist  and 
flouring  mill,  which  was  located  on  the  line.      Mr.  K.  died  soon 


1837.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  199 

after,  and  tlie  property  passed  into  tlie  hands  of  F.  &  E.  Fisher, 
of  Boston,  who  in  1835-6  built  the  stone  factory  adjoining  the 
grist-mill,  just  north  of  the  line  in  Boscawen.  The  abundance  of 
water-power,  and  the  prospective  increase  of  the  manufacturing 
interest,  made  the  boundary  question  one  of  moment.  The  dif- 
ference of  opinion  as  to  the  boundary  line  arose  from  the  descrip- 
tion in  the  respective  charters  of  the  two  towns.  The  colonies 
of  Massachusetts  Bay,  in  General  Court  convened,  at  Boston, 
June  17, 1725,  granted  to  the  proprietors  of  Penacook  (Concord) 
a  tract  of  land  on  Merrimack  river.  The  north  boundary,  west  of 
the  river,  was  described  in  the  grant  as  follows  : 

"  Begin  where  the  Contoocook  Eiver  falls  into  the  Merrimcack  River 
and  upon  a  course  west  17°  south  four  miles. 

The  same  court.  May  20,  1733,  granted  to  John  Coffin  & 
Co.  the  plantation  at  Contoocook  (Boscawen).  The  southern 
boundary  adjoining  Penacook  was  described  thus  : 

"Beginning  at  the  middle  of  the  mouth  of  Contoocook  River  where 
it  empties  itself  into  Merrimack  where  it  joins  on  Penacook  Plantation 
thence  running  westl5°  south  adjoining  on  Pennycook  line  four  miles 
to  a  white  pine  tree  marked  Pennycook  corner  bounds." 

Concord  was  bounded  by  Contoocook  river,  in  general  terms  ; 
Boscawen,  by  the  middle  of  the  mouth  of  the  Contoocook  where  it 
empties  into  the  Merrimack.  By  construing  the  latter  literally, 
the  line  would  be  carried  north  one  half  the  width  of  the  river, 
and  would  inclose  all  of  the  mill  and  new  stone  factor}'-  in  Con- 
cord. Concord  claimed  that  the  language  of  the  charter  should 
be  construed  literally,  while  Boscawen  insisted  that  the  line  of 
1797,  as  before  stated,  should  be  continued,  which  would  leave 
the  factory  in  Boscawen. 

At  the  annual  meeting  in  March,  1837,  the  town  of  Concord  in- 
structed their  selectmen  to  serve  the  town  of  Boscawen  with  no- 
tice to  meet  for  the  purpose  of  making  suitable  arrangements  in 
regard  to  the  line  between  the  toAvns,  agreeable  to  the  provisions 
of  law. 

Boscawen  declined  to  meet.  At  the  September  term,  1837,  the 
selectmen  of  Concord  presented  a  petition  to  the  court  of  common 
pleas,  setting  forth  that  ''the  line  is  and  has  for  a  long  time  been 
in  dispute,"  and  praying   the    court  to  appoint  a  committee  to 


200  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1837. 

examine  and  establish  the  line  between  the  two  towns.  Upon 
this  petition  the  court  ordered  that  John  Porter,  Thomas  D. 
Merrill,  and  Henry  B.  Chase  be  a  committee  to  establish  a  hne 
between  Concord  and  Boscawen,  and  renew  the  bounds  and 
marks.  Nothing  was  done  until  Oct.  9,  1840,  when  a  hearing 
was  held  at  the  hotel  of  Reuben  Johnson.  Concord  was  repre- 
sented by  Samuel  Fletcher,  and  Boscawen  by  George  W.  Nesmith 
and  Ichabod  Bartlett.  After  a  full  and  careful  examination  of 
the  evidence  presented,  the  committee  affirmed  the  old  line  of 
1797,  with  more  definite  description.  There  are  those  now  living 
who  attended  the  hearing  and  heard  the  arguments,  and  who 
speak  of  Mr.  Bartlett  as  having  been  very  eloquent,  forcible,  and 
convincing.  Stone  bounds  were  erected,  and  no  further  contro- 
versy has  arisen. 

A  neat  turn  was  given  to  the  argument  by  him.  "Boscawen," 
said  Mr.  B.,  "had  in  her  generosity  once  built  one  half  of  the 
bridge  across  the  Contoocook  for  the  convenience  of  the  public, 
although  the  river  at  that  point  vras  wholly  in  Concord ;  and  now 
she  would  again  show  her  generosity — she  would  give  the  v^hole 
of  the  bridge  to  Concord,  and  take  the  factory.'^ 

A  road  was  laid  out  during  the  year  from  Battle  street  to  Fow- 
ler's plain ;  but  the  selectmen,  for  some  cause,  saw  fit  to  delay  its 
construction,  and  it  never  was  opened. 

A  committee  was  appointed,  consisting  of  Samuel  Chadwick, 
Col.  Moses  Gerrish,  Thomas  Elliot,  Joseph  Ames,  and  Richard 
Gage,  to  confer  with  the  owners  of  the  pews  in  the  old  West 
meeting-house  in  regard  to  selling  their  rights,  with  a  view  of 
making  it  a  town-house. 

ANTI-SLAVEEY. 

The  anti-slavery  agitation  which  had  begun,  reached  Boscawen. 
On  tbe  4th  of  July  a  public  meeting  was  held  in  the  meeting- 
house on  Corser  hill,  and  an  address  given  by  Rev.  Cyrus  W. 
Wallace,  then  a  student  in  Gilmanton  Theological  Seminary,  for 
many  years  pastor  of  the  First  Congregational  church,  Manches- 
ter. Petitions  were  circulated,  asking  congress  to  prohibit  slavery 
in  the  territories.  Anti-slavery  societies  were  formed  at  the  west 
and  also  at  the  east  end  of  tbe  town,  but  the  prevailing  sentiment 
was  against  any  agitation  of  the  question. 


1838.] 


CIVIL    HISTORY.  201 


Many  of  the  citizens  favored  the  colonization  scheme, — that  of 
sending  the  negroes  to  Africa,  their  own  country.  The  emanci- 
pationists retorted  that  America  was  tlieir  own  country.  They 
ohtained  papers  and  pamphlets.  They  hung  up  in  public  places 
figures  of  a  negro  in  chains,  kneeling  with  this  appeal, — ''  Am  I 
not  a  man  and  a  brother  ?  " 

It  is  not  probable  that  there  was  a  citizen  of  Boscawen  who  at 
heart  wished  to  have  the  negroes  remain  in  slavery  ;  but  there  was 
an  intense  prejudice  against  color, — a  prejudice  which  was  shared 
by  some  of  the  best  men  in  the  community.  Several  negro  fami- 
lies had  taken  possession  of  a  house  that  stood  on  Fowler's  plain 
west  of  Beaver-dam.  They  were  in  the  Corser  hill  school  district, 
and  the  children  made  their  appearance  at  school.  On  a  Sunday 
evening,  after  a  prayer-meeting  for  the  conversion  of  the  world, 
the  citizens  tarried,  and  voted  that  they  should  not  be  permitted 
to  attend  school  in  that  district. 

The  excluded  children,  however,  found  no  barrier  to  their  at- 
tending school  at  North  Water  street.  The  great  and  chief  fear 
was,  that  if  the  negroes  were  liberated  in  the  South  they  would 
all  flock  to  the  North.  Thomas  Coffin  was  an  emancipationist ; 
his  brother-in-law,  Dea.  ISTehemiah  Cogswell,  was  a  colonizationist. 
Their  discussions  were  always  friendly,  though  sometimes  warm. 

"The  negro  is  a  man,  and  is  entitled  to  freedom,"  said  the 
first. 

"  Brother,  do  you  want  all  those  niggers  to  make  their  appear- 
ance on  Water  street  ?  "  was  the  reply,  often  repeated. 

1838.  Hezekiah  Fellows,  custodian  of  the  town  for  its  propor- 
tion of  the  surplus  revenue,  reported  at  the  annual  meeting  that 
he  had  received  three  instalments,  amounting  to  $5,518.86,  which 
was  loaned  to  the  town. 

The  committee  appointed  the  previous  year  on  a  "  town  house  " 
reported  that  they  had  seen  a  majority  of  the  pew-holders  in  the 
West  meeting-house,  and  that  ''  most  of  them  were  willing  to  give 
them  up  for  a  town  house,  while  a  few  wanted  about  the  first 
cost."  The  expense  would  be  about  $500.  The  site  selected  by 
the  committee  was  near  "Aaron  Flanders's  corner,"  the  southerly 
end  of  Water  street. 

The  report  of  the  committee  was  accepted,  but  nothing  further 
was  done  in  the  premises. 


202  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1839. 

1839.  The  country  was  still  suffering  from  the  commercial 
disasters  of  1837.  There  was  little  money  in  circulation.  Emi- 
gration from  the  East  to  the  West  still  continued.  Although  the 
valuation  of  property  on  the  selectmen's  books  was  unchanged, 
there  had  in  reality  been  a  great  depreciation  of  values. 

The  only  business  out  of  the  usual  course  at  town-meeting  was 
a  vote  to  make  the  alms-house  a  house  of  correction  for  vagrants. 
This  was  prompted  by  the  unusual  number  of  tramps  roaming 
the  country — some  in  search  of  work,  more  to  sponge  their  living 
out  of  tlie  community. 


Z.X/^v^i^^ 


[1840. 


CHAPTER  XIY. 

FROM  1840  TO  1850. 

^1  HE  canvass  for  the  election  of  President  and  Vice-President 
^^  during  the  year  was  one  of  the  most  exciting  in  the  history 
of  tlie  nation.  There  were  two  great  political  parties,  the  Demo- 
cratic and  the  Whig — the  Liberty  party  not  then  having  been 
formed.  The  Democratic  party  was  in  power,  with  Martin  Van  Bu- 
ren  j^resident,  Avhom  they  renominated.  The  Whig  party  nomi- 
nated Gen.  William  Henry  Harrison,  of  Ohio.  The  Whig  party 
charged  the  Democrats  with  extravagance, — with  being  respon- 
sible for  all  the  commercial  distress.  They  raised  the  cry  of  re- 
form, economy,  honesty.  A  party  enjoying  a  long  lease  of  power 
is  open  to  attack  on  every  side.  The  Whigs  knew  it,  and  made 
the  most  of  their  opportunities. 

The  campaign  opened  June  17,  on  the  Whig  side,  by  a  mass 
meeting  held  at  Concord, — a  meeting  remarkable  for  the  numbers 
congregated  in  days  when  the  only  conveyance  was  by  horses.  The 
attendance  was  estimated  at  twenty  thousand.  Large  delegations 
were  present  from  every  section  of  the  state.  Many  of  those  at- 
tending must  have  been  absent  from  home  a  week. 

The  Whigs  brought  into  use  aiJj)liances  never  before  dreamed 
of  in  political  campaigns.  Gen.  Harrison,  having  been  born  in  a 
log  cabin,  was  "  the  Log  Cabin  candidate ; "  and  cabins  built  of 
logs,  drawn  on  wheels,  with  bear-traps  and  coon-skins  hanging  on 
the  walls,  were  features  in  the  grand  procession.  It  was  popular- 
ly supposed  that  Gen.  Harrison  was  cradled  by  his  mother  in  a 
sap  trough,  and  wore  a  coon-skin  coat.  The  Democrats  called 
him  the  "  coon  "  candidate.  The  Whigs  accepted  the  name,  and 
gloried  in  calling  themselves  "  coons."     Many  of  the  Whig  news 


204  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1840. 

papers  broiiglit  out  wood-cuts  representing  a  gathering  of  raccoons 
playing  the  chorus  of  victory  on  trombones.  . 

It  was  popularly  supposed  that  Gen.  Harrison  had  lived  on 
coarse  fare  in  his  early  life,  and  drank  hard  cider.  Hence  he 
was  called  by  the  Democrats  "  the  hard  cider  "  candidate.  The 
Whigs  accepted  the  appellation,  and  at  all  Whig  gatherings  there 
was  a  supply  of  fermented  apple-juice.  The  Democrats  could  re- 
sort to  no  such  appliances  to  win  popular  favor.  Mr.  Yan  Buren 
was  of  an  old  New  York  family — a  life-long  politician.  He  had 
lived  in  luxury — enjoyed  for  many  years  the  emoluments  of  office. 
Gen.  Harrison  had  distinguished  himseK  in  the  war  of  1812 — had 
fought  the  battle  of  Tij^pecanoe,  and  in  song  was  ''  Old  Tippe- 
canoe." 

LOCO-FOCO. 

The  campaign  produced  a  literature  peculiar  to  the  times.  The 
Democrats  were  called  "  Loco-Focos "  by  their  opponents.  In 
1834,  one  John  Mack  opened  a  store  in  Park  Row,  New  York,  in 
which  he  had  two  novelties  that  attracted  attention.  One  was 
champagne  wine  drawn  from  a  fountain ;  the  other  was  a  self- 
lighting  cigar,  on  one  end  of  which  was  a  composition  that  would 
light  itself  on  being  rubbed.  These  last  he  called  Loco-Foco 
cigars.  He  patented  them,  the  patent  bearing  date  April  16, 
1834. 

In  the  year  1835  a  division  occurred  in  the  New  York  Democ- 
racy. At  a  meeting  held  in  Tammany  hall  a  brawl  occurred, 
during  which  one  wing  of  the  part}'  extinguished  the  gas-lights ; 
but  the  other  wing,  having  some  "Loco-Foco"  matches,  immedi- 
ately relighted  the  hall.  The  Courier  &  Enquirer,  in  a  notice 
of  the  meeting,  called  that  wing  of  the  party  "Loco-Focos."  The 
country  accepted  the  name,  which  during  the  presidential  cam- 
paign was  applied  by  the  Whigs  to  the  whole  Democratic  party. 

In  Boscawen,  as  in  other  towns,  the  young  men  who  sympa- 
thized with  the  Whig  party  organized  clubs,  and  sang  campaign 
songs  on  every  possible  occasion.  Many  of  the  songs  were  the 
merest  doggerel,  but  they  served  to  keep  alive  the  political  enthu- 
siasm.    One  was  entitled 


1841.]  CIVIL    HISTORY,  205 

"VAN   AND    THE    FARMER." 

Tune — The  King  and  the  Countryman. 

"  A  farmer  there  was  who  lived  at  North  Bend, 
Esteemed  by  his  neighbors  and  many  a  friend; 
And  you'll  see  on  a  time,  if  you  follow  my  ditty, 
How  he  took  a  straight  walk  to  Washington  city. 
The  farmer  walked  on,  and  arrived  at  the  door. 
And  gave  such  a  thump  as  was  ne'er  thumped  before. 
Mister  Van  thought  the  rap  was  the  sound  of  a  flail, 
And  his  heart  beat  with  fear,  and  he  turned  deadly  pale." 

The  song  went  on  to  picture  the  consternation  in  the  White 
House,  where  the  president  and  his  cabinet  were  dining  at  a  table 
spread  with  a  service  of  golden  plates,  cups,  knives,  and  forks, 
and  ended  by  installing  the  rough-handed  farmer  in  Mr.  A^an 
Buren's  chair. 

Another  song  was  entitled  "Rolling  the  Ball;'  or,  Tippecanoe 
and  Tyler,  too." 

John  Tyler,  of  Virginia,  was  the  candidate  for  vice-president  on 
the  Whig  ticket. 

"Oh!  what  has  caused  this  great  commotion,  motion,  motion 

Our  country  through? 
It  is  the  ball  a  rolling  on  for  Tippecanoe  and  Tyler,  too — 

For  Tippecanoe  and  Tyler,  too. 
Chorus — 

And  with  them  we'll  beat  little  Van : 
Van,  Van,  Van, 
Is  a  used  iip  man, 
And  with  them  we  will  beat  little  Van." 

The  enthusiasm  was  mainly  on  the  Whig  side.  The  Demo- 
crats, from  their  position,  were  compelled  to  be  on  the  defensive, 
and  could  not  employ  like  agencies ;  but  the  Whigs  made  noise 
enough  for  both  parties,  singing  and  hurrahing  through  the  cam- 
paign, and  burning  a  great  deal  of  powder  over  their  victory  in 
November. 

THE    FORMATION    OF    THE    BAPTIST    SOCIETY. 

1841.  The  political  excitement  of  1840  was  followed  by  a  remark- 
able attention  to  religion  in  the  fall  of  1841,  spreading  through- 


206  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1842. 

out  Boscawen  and  neighboring  towns.  The  preaching  of  the  Ad- 
vent doctrines,  as  held  by  IMiller,  who  believed  in  the  immediate 
destruction  of  the  world,  had  aroused  the  attention  of  some  who 
had  never  been  interested  in  religious  matters. 

There  being  a  few  individuals  of  tlie  Baptist  order  in  town,  an 
effort  was  made  by  them  to  organize  a  society.  Eev.  Mr.  Pea- 
cock, Kev.  Mr.  Worth,  and  other  ministers,  were  employed  as 
preachers.  A  church  was  formed,  and  a  meeting-house  was  erected 
on  the  east  side  of  King  street,  between  the  house  now  occupied 
by  Mr.  Caleb  Hall,  and  the  brick  store  then  kept  by  John 
Greenough.  The  church  and  society  flourished  for  a  short  time, 
but  the  proximity  to  Fisherville,  and  the  formation  of  a  vigorous 
Baptist  church  and  society  on  the  Concord  side,  ere  long  made  it 
apparent  that  to  attempt  to  build  up  a  church  in  that  locality 
would  be  a  waste  of  energ}^,  and  it  was  abandoned.  The  edifice 
was  sul)sequently  taken  down,  removed  to  Canterbury,  and 
erected  as  a  town-house. 

GRAXITE    MUTUAL    FIKE    INSURANCE    COMPANY. 

During  the  year  a  charter  was  obtained  for  the  Granite  IMutual 
Fire  Insurance  Company,  Avhich  was  organized  at  the  west  end, — 
Simeon  B.  Little,  President,  and  Eev.  Ebenezer  Price,  Secretary. 

NEW    POST    ROUTE. 

Prom  the  year  1830  there  had  been  a  post-office  at  Sweatt's 
mills,  and  the  mail  was  carried  once  a  week  from  Hopkinton  to 
Salisbury.  The  post-office  was  of  little  value,  most  of  the  people 
receiving  their  mail  through  the  office  on  the  Plain.  The  citizens 
of  the  west  end  petitioned  for  a  change  of  route,  and  a  mail  tri- 
weekly^ between  Boscawen  and  West  Boscawen,  whicli  was 
granted  by  the  post-office  department,  and  has  remained  un- 
changed to  the  present  time. 

1842.  The  academy  had  been  twice  used  for  the  holding  of 
the  annual  town-meeting.  An  effort  was  made  at  the  March 
meeting  to  have  the  town  finish  off  a  town-house  in  the  basement 
of  the  new  Baptist  meeting-house ;  but  the  town  refused  to  enter- 
tain the  project. 

The  anti-slavery  agitation,  which  began  in  1835,  had  been  in- 


1844.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  207 

creasing  from  year  to  year.  There  were  many  ardent  supporters 
of  the  cause  in  Boscawen,  but  there  was  a  division  of  sentiment 
in  regard  to  the  best  methods  of  advancing  it.  The  parent 
anti-slavery  society  in  New  York  had  divided  ola  the  question. 
As  in  all  great  projects  of  reform,  there  were  extremists,  who  held 
to  their  own  measures  and  methods  with  great  zeal,  and  were  in- 
tolerant towards  those  not  agreeing  with  them.  One  of  the  most 
zealous  workers  in  the  cause  was  Stephen  S.  Foster,  a  native  of 
CanteriHiry,  who  had  taught  school  in  Boscawen,  and  who  em- 
braced the  cause  with  all  his  heart.  The  churches  not  coming  up 
to  his  standard  of  action,  he  undertook  to  arouse  them  by  inter- 
rupting the  services  at  the  East  meeting-house,  on  Sabbath,  Feb. 
3d,  and  at  the  meeting-house  on  Corser  hill  the  next  Sabbath.  In 
both  instances  he  was  led  out  of  doors.  The  affair  gave  rise  to  a 
great  deal  of  excitement  in  church,  and  subsequently  in  politics. 

1843.  The  town  voted  to  put  a  stop  to  the  sale  of  spirituous 
liquors  ;  and  Benjamin  F.  Kimball,  Thomas  Elliott,  and  William 
H.  Gage  were  appointed  a  committee  to  prevent  this  sale. 

During  the  year  the  qviestion  of  building  a  railroad  from  Con- 
cord to  Lebanon  was  agitated,  but  no  active  measures  were  taken 
towards  furthering  the  project. 

1844.  The  town  at  the  annual  meeting  voted  that  every 
person  should  be  put  under  oath  at  the  time  of  taking  the  in- 
ventory. 

The  town  granted  leave  to  the  Christian  Union  Society  to  floor 
tlie  galleries  in  the  West  meeting-house.  The  town  also  voted  to 
bear  half  the  expense  of  repairing  the  outside,  and  of  keeping  it 
in  repair  so  long  as  it  was  used  as  a  town-house.  The  Chris- 
tian Union  Society,  having  obtained  leave  of  the  pew-holders,  pro- 
ceeded to  make  the  proposed  alterations,  thus  obtaining  a  com- 
modious chapel. 

Fisherville  having  become  a  thriving  village,  the  town  voted 
$150  towards  the  purchase  of  a  fire  engine. 

THE  nortiier:n-  railroad. 

During  the  j^ear  the  route  was  surveyed  for  a  railroad  from 
Concord  to  Franklin,  and  thence  to  Lebanon, — a  movement  inau- 
gurated by  the  residents  of  those  towns.     The  survey  was  made 


208  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [184:7. 

under  tlie  direction  of  Thomas  J.  Carter,  civil  engineer.  The 
people  of  the  west  end,  believing  that  they  had  a  hetter  route, 
employed  Stephen  C.  Badger,  Esq.,  of  Concord,  to  survey  a  route 
up  the  valley  of  the  Blackwater. 

The  Northern  Railroad  Company  having  been  organized,  the 
surveys  preliminary  to  the  construction  of  the  road  were  begun 
during  the  summer.  A  route  up  the  Merrimack,  another  up  the 
valley  of  the  Blackwater,  a  third  up  Mill  brook,  and  a  fourth  via 
Long  pond,  were  made  by  the  company,  under  the  direction  of  the 
chief  engineer,  Jonathan  Adams. 

1846.  The  directors  of  the  Northern  Eailroad  having  decided 
to  build  upon  tlie  present  location,  contracted  for  the  construction 
of  the  road.  The  first  shovelful  of  earth  thrown  out  in  the  town 
was  in  the  excavation  south  of  the  small  brook  emptying  into  the 
pond  at  the  southerly  end  of  King  street. 

The  large  number  of  men  employed,  and  the  disbursement  of 
money  for  labor,  gave  a  momentary  impulse  to  business,  and  an 
activity  surpassing  that  of  any  other  period,  perhaps,  in  the  town's 
history. 

The  road  was  opened  to  Franklin  in  the  following  winter,  and 
the  numerous  teams  and  stages  that  since  the  opening  of  the 
Fourtli  New  Hampshire  Turnpike  had  made  King  street  one  of 
the  great  thoroughfares  of  the  state,  disappeared  forever.  From 
that  day  to  the  present,  no  ponderous  wagon,  Avith  white  canvas 
covering,  drawn  by  eight  stalwart  horses,  has  been  seen  wending 
its  course  along  that  highway ;  no  stage,  with  its  six  prancing 
horses,  its  complement  of  passengers,  and  mountain  of  baggage, 
has  rolled  along  the  road,  leaving  a  cloud  of  dust  behind :  all  have 
gone, — nor  will  they  ever  be  seen  again. 

1847.  The  selectmen  were  authorized  to  furnish  printed  copies 
of  their  reports. 

The  town  voted  that  the  selectmen  procure  a  certified  copy  of 
the  proprietors'  records,  wdiich  should  be  kept  at  the  town-clerk's 
office.  Hezekiah  Fellows,  the  town-clerk,  was  authorized  to  make 
the  same. 

Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  with  Mexico,  a  regiment  of 
United  States  soldiers,  that  had  been  quartered  at  Burlington,  Vt., 
marched  to  Boston,  passing  through  the  town,  halting  for  a  short 
time  on  the  Plain  by  the  meeting-house.     Some  of  the  citizens 


1849. J  CIVIL    HISTORY.  209 

dragged  the  field-piece  belonging  to  the  artillery  from  the  gun- 
house,  and  fired  a  salute  in  honor  of  this  first  appearance  of  a 
body  of  United  States  soldiers  in  the  town. 

1848.  The  town  having  no  place  in  which  to  hold  its  annual 
meetings  at  the  east  end,  a  proposition  was  received  from  the 
Congregational  society  in  that  section  to  make  such  alterations  in 
the  basement  of  the  meeting-house  as  would  accommodate  the  town. 
The  following  communication  was  received  from  the  society  : 

"  At  the  arintial  meeting  of  the  Boscawen  Religious  Society,  holclen  on 
the  8"i  of  March,  lSt7,  it  was  voted  that  the  town  have  liberty  to  con- 
struct a  town  house  under  tlie  meeting  house,  with  the  understanding 
that  said  house  should  be  at  all  times  under  the  control  of  said  society 
exce[>t  when  wanted  for  town  purposes,  &  that  the  construction  be  un- 
der tlie  joint  direction  of  the  society  &  town. 

"  E.  K.  Webster,  So.  clerk." 

The  ^proposition  was  accepted,  and  the  house  raised  about  four 
feet,  thus  obtaining  room  for  a  hall. 

1849.  The  citizens  of  Fisherville  feeling  the  need  of  an  organ- 
ization for  protection  against  fires,  upon  petition,  -a  fire  precinct 
was  established,  extending  northward  to  the  brook  at  the  south- 
erly end  of  King  street. 

LINE    BETWEEN    BOSCAWEN    AND    CANTERBURY. 

The  bridges  on  the  Merrimack  not  having  been  rebuilt  by  the 
proprietors,  an  effort  was  made  to  procure  the  construction  of  one 
on  the  site  of  the  former  Boscawen  bridge,  and  one,  also,  on  the 
site  of  the  Canterbury  bridge.  There  was  at  the  time  no  free 
bridge  on  the  Merrimack  from  Plymouth  to  Newburyport,  with 
the  exception  of  one  at  Concord.  The  town  refused  to  entertain 
the  proposition.  The  line  between  Boscawen  and  Canterbury 
was  in  dispute.  Was  it  the  east  or  the  west  bank  of  the  Merrimack, 
or  was  it  in  the  middle  of  the  stream  ?  In  order  to  settle  the  ques- 
tion, the  selectmen  were  instructed  to  petition  the  court  of  common 
pleas  to  appoint  a  committee  to  fix  the  line  between  the  two 
towns.  The  committee  so  appointed  decided  that  the  centre  of  the 
stream  was  the  boundary,  and  so  established  it. 

The  town  voted  to  adopt  ch.  133  of  the  Revised  Statutes,  rela- 
ting to  the  liens  of  mechanics. 
14 


210  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1849. 

New  hearses — those  now  in  use — were  procured  during  the  year. 

The  town  passed  the  following  resolutions  : 

"  Iteftolved,  That  the  selectmen  be  requested  to  search  out  any  place  or 
places  in  town  where  they  have  reason  to  think  by  their  knowledge  or 
by  information  from  others  that  alcoholic  liquor  is  sold  ;  that  they  pro- 
ceed against  them  as  is  pointed  out  by  statute  at  the  expense  of  the 
town." 

The  state  constitution  had  been  revised  during  the  winter  by  a 
convention  called  for  the  purpose.  But  the  town  refused  the 
adoption  of  the  revision,  forty  voting  in  favor  and  three  hundred 
and  five  against  it. 

CALIFORNIA    EMIGRATION, 

The  discovery  of  gold  in  California  created  a  great  excitement, 
especially  among  the  young  men.  Ships  were  chartered,  from 
Boston,  New  York,  and  Philadelphia,  for  San  Francisco  via  Cape 
Horn.  Other  vessels  sailed  for  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  and  voy- 
agers worked  their  way  up  the  Chagres  river  across  the  Isthmus 
to  the  old  city  of  Panama,  and  thence  sailed  northward  to  the 
Eldorado.  Others,  still  more  adventurous,  started  westward,  mak- 
ing tlie  long,  tedious,  hazardous  journey  across  the  plains,  over 
the  Sierra  Nevada  range  of  mountains,  exposing  themselves  to  all 
the  dangers  of  starvation  and  sickness,  or  death  at  the  hands  of  the 
Indians.  The  first  emigrants  to  California  from  Boscawen  were 
William  and  Jonas  Call  and  Bitfield  P.  Burhank,  who  made  their 
way  to  the  land  of  gold  by  Salt  Lake,  suffering  great  hardships. 


j/^^^^^^-^^ 


[1850. 


OHAPTEE    XY. 

FROM  1850  TO  i860. 

HE  construction  of  the  Northern  Kaih-oacl  brought  about  a 
new  order  of  things.  The  tavern  signs  had  disappeared  with 
the  stages  and  teams.  The  store-keepers  found  that  their  trade 
was  diminishing.  No  longer  were  tliere  rafts  of  manufactured 
himber  to  be  seen  floating  down  the  Merrimack.  The  river  bank, 
in  rear  of  the  academy,  no  longer  was  piled  with  boards  to  be 
rafted  to  Lowell  or  Boston.  Some  kinds  of  property  had  greatly 
decreased  in  value,  while  in  others  there  had  been  a  sudden  en- 
hancement, especially  in  wood  and  timber  lands.  Wood,  for 
which  there  had  been  no  market,  was  worth  five  dollars  per  cord 
at  the  railroad.  Hemlock  and  chestnut  timber,  which  had  been 
considered  of  little  account,  rose  to  the  former  price  of  pine,  while 
pine  lumber  made  a  corresponding  advance. 

1851.  New  and  richer  discoveries  of  gold  in  California,  the 
op  >ning  of  the  Panama  Railroad,  the  establishment  of  the  Pacific 
Mail  Steamship  Line,  and  the  marvellous  stories  told  of  the  for- 
tunes made,  produced  a  fever  of  unrest  throughovit  the  community. 
The  young  men,  and  many  in  the  prime  of  life,  started  for  the 
Eldorado  of  the  Pacific  shore,  a  few  to  attain  the  riches  they 
sought,  but  the  majority  to  meet  with  disappointment.  During 
the  year  several  citizens  of  Boscawen,  with  others  from  the  sur- 
rounding towns,  took  their  dejiarture  for  California. 

1852.  Many  of  the  farmers  had  set  their  fences  ujDon  the  high- 
way, causing  much  trouble  and  expense  to  the  town  from  the 
drifting  of  snow  in  winter,  and  the  town,  at  the  annual  meeting, 
voted  "  that  all  such  fences  be  removed." 

During   the   annual   meeting,   two   travellers   from   Vermont 


212  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1863, 

undertook  to  make  themselves  citizens,  and  to  exercise  the  privilege 
of  voting.  They  were  discovered,  brought  before  the  moderator, 
and,  having  made  humble  apologies,  were  allowed  to  depart,  after 
paying  the  expenses  of  their  arrest. 

1853.  The  selectmen  were  authorized  to  purchase  Colton's  wall 
maps  for  each  school  district  in  town.  This  was  the  first  appro- 
priation ever  made  for  supplying  the  school  districts  with  maps  or 
charts. 

The  cemetery  on  "  Norway  "  or  "  Fowler's"  plain,  between  Bea- 
ver-dam and  Little  brook,  was  laid  out  during  the  year. 

Wood  being  needed  for  the  town  farm,  the  question  was  agita- 
ted in  town  meeting,  and  the  proposal  to  purchase  a  wood  lot  was 
rejected. 

"Voted  that  the  selectmen  be  not  authorized  to  purchase  a  wood 
lot." 

The  town  passed  a  by-law,  forbidding  persons  to  drive  faster 
than  a  walk  over  any  bridge  that  cost  more  than  $1,000.  The 
penalty  for  such  an  offence  was  $1. 

THE    REBELLION. 

1861.  In  all  free  governments  there  will  ever  be  political  parties. 
Well  for  the  human  race  that  it  is  so.  In  the  free  discussion  of 
tlie  great  principles  underlying  republican  government  lies  the 
liberty  of  the  nation.  Previous  to  the  outbreak  of  the  slave- 
holders' rebellion,  party  lines  were  strictly  drawn  throughout  the 
nation ;  but,  with  the  booming  of  hostile  cannon  upon  Fort  Sum- 
ter and  the  humiliation  of  the  flag  of  the  nation,  the  citizens  of 
Boscawen  and  Webster,  in  common  with  the  great  majority  of  the 
people  of  the  North,  gave  thfeir  support  to  the  government.  The 
part  taken  in  the  great  struggle  by  the  citizens  of  the  two  towns 
is  set  forth  in  another  place.     [See  Military  Hist.] 

1862.  At  a  meeting  held  Aug.  4,  the  town  voted  $100  to  vol- 
unteers,— to  be  paid  to  those  enlisting  in  the  town. 

The  sum  of  $2,000  was  voted  in  payment  of  the  same,  to  be 
assessed  the  following  year. 

1863.  At  the  meeting  in  March,  the  town  voted  that  no  horses, 
cattle,  or  other  stock  be  permitted  to  run  at  large,  under  a  penalty 
of  $2. 


18G6.]  .  CIVIL    HISTORY. 


213 


At  a  meeting  in  August,  the  town  voted  to  pay  each  conscript 
or  his  substitute,  when  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United 
States,  the  sum  of  $300 ;  and  the  selectmen  were  authorized  to 
borrow  a  sum  not  exceeding  Jf?  10,000  in  payment  of  bounties. 

WAR    MEASURES. 

1864.  At  the  annual  meeting  in  March,  the  town  voted  to  raise 
$3,500,  and  the  selectmen  were  authorized  to  hire  a  sum  not 
exceeding  $3,000  for  families  of  soldiers. 

The  following  resolution  was  adopted  : 

Resolved,  That  whenever  during  tlie  year  the  selectmen  shall  be 
officially  notified  that  tlie  town  is  required  to  furnish  soldiers  for  the 
service  of  tiie  United  States,  the  selectmen  be  authorized  to  offer 
and  pay,  in  behalf  of  the  town,  such  bounties  to  or  for  volunteers  as  they 
may  deem  necessary,  and  to  take  such  means  as  they  may  deem  expe- 
dient to  procure  volunteers  ;  also,  that  they  be  authorized  to  borrow 
on  the  credit  of  the  town  a  sura  not  exceeding  one  hundred  thousand 
dollars. 

The  town  purchased  an  iron  safe,  for  the  preservation  of  the 
records,  which  was  placed  in  the  town  hall,  but  which,  from  the 
dampness  of  the  place,  proved  of  little  value. 

1865.  At  the  meeting  in  March  the  selectmen  were  authorized 
to  hire  $33,000,  and  to  issue  coupon  bonds  bearing  interest  at  six 
per  cent.,  the  sum  of  $2,000  to  be  retired  each  year. 

''  Voted,  To  raise  $2,000  for  the  payment  of  the  interest  on  the  town 
debt,  and  $3,000  for  the  fatnilies  of  soldiers. 

'■'Voted,  To  memorialize  the  legislature  for  a  loan  equalizing  bounties 
paid  to  towns." 

Although  the  selectmen  had  been  authorized  in  the  previous 
year  to  raise  a  sum  not  exceeding  $100,000,  only  a  third  of  the 
amount  was  needed  to  fill  the  town's  quota,  and  the  indebtedness 
of  the  town  did  not  much  exceed  $30,000. 

FUXDIXG    THE    DEBT. 

1866.  The  indebtedness  of  the  town  to  the  amount  of  twenty- 
eight  thousand  dollars,  was  funded,  and  bonds  issued  in  denomi- 
nations of  $50,  $100,  $200,  and  $500,  dated  2d  July,  1866,  bear- 
ing six  per  cent,  interest,  $2,000  to  be  retired  j^early,  till  the  debt 

•should  be  extinmiished. 


214  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1875. 

The  town,  at  the  annual  meeting,  voted  40  cents  to  each  mem- 
ber of  the  Fire  Engine  Co.,  Eisherville,  for  each  attendance  at 
the  monthly  meeting,  the  company  consisting  of  35  men. 

SALE    OF    THE    ALMSHOUSE    AXD    POOR-FAKM. 

1868.  Merrimack  county  having  purchased  a  county  farm  for 
the  maintenance  of  the  poor,  the  town  voted  to  sell  its  farm  on 
Water  street ;  and  Isaac  K.  Gage,  Francis  S.  French,  and  Bradley 
Atkinson  were  appointed  a  committee  to  dispose  of  the  same. 
The  sale  was  not  consummated,  however,  till  the  following  year. 

CEMETERY    OX    THE    PLAIIST. 

1869.  At  the  annual  meeting,  Isaac  K.  Gage,  Dr.  E.  K.  Webster, 
and  George  Knowles  were  appointed  a  committee  "  to  lay  out 
and  grade  the  cemetery  on  the  Plain." 

HIGHWAY    TAX. 

1870.  The  town  voted  to  pay  its  taxes  on  highways  in  money, 
and  to  raise  the  sum  of  one  fourth  of  one  per  cent,  on  the  valua- 
tion, to  be  expended  on  the  roads. 

The  sense  of  the  town  on  the  revision  of  the  state  constitution 
resulted,  for  the  first  time  since  its  settlement,  in  an  affirmative 
vote, — seventy-two  in  favor  of  revision,  and  twentj'-three  in  oppo- 
sition. 

1871-73.  No  business,  other  than  that  ordinarily  arising  at  the 
annual  meetings,  was  transacted  during  the  years  1871,  1872,  and 
1873. 

1874.  The  town  voted  $400  for  the  construction  of  a  "  lock- 
up "  at  Fisherville. 

An  article  in  the  warrant  relative  to  the  abolishing  of  the  sev- 
eral school  districts,  and  placing  their  control  in  the  hands  of  a 
town  committee,  was  passed  over. 

THE    TOWX    HISTORY'. 

1875.  The  town  voted  a  sum  of  $300  to  be  paid  to  Cliarles  C. 
Coffin,  for  the  compilation  of  a  history  of  the  town. 

The  sum  of  $250  was  voted  to  the  Fire  Engine  Co.  at  Fisher- 
ville. 


1876.]  CIVIL    HISTORY,  215 


CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION. 

1870.  A  special  meeting  of  the  town  was  called  June  26,  to 
take  action  in  regard  to  the  celebration  of  the  centennial  anniver- 
sary of  American  Independence. 

The  following  resolution  was  adopted  : 

Resolved,  That  the  town  of  Boscawen  will  celebrate  the  centennial 
Fourtli  of  July,  1876,  and  that  the  selectmen  be  authorized  and  in- 
structed to  appropriate  out  of  the  treasury  the  sum  of  $300  towards  the 
proper  expenses  of  such  celebration," 

The  proceedings  on  the  4th  of  July  were  published  in  pamphlet, 
by  S.  G.  ]S[oyes,  of  Fisherville. 

[From  the  History  of  the  Centennial  Celebration.] 

"celebration  op  4th  of  JULY,  AT  BOSCAWEN,  1876, 

''The  town,  at  a  meeting  of  its  legal  voters,  having  voted  to  celebrate 
this  centennial  anniversary,  and  appropriated  money  for  that  purpose, 
the  following  officers  and  committee  were  appointed  : 

President — N,  Butler,  Esq. 

Vice  Presldeuts — Calvin  Gage,  Nath.  R.  Greeley,  E.  S.  Harris,  Ira 
Sweatt,  Moses  Morse,  Abraham  Ilook,  A.  G.  Kimball,  JSTath'l  S.  Web- 
ster, Luther  Gage,  Peter  Coffin,  Wm.  P.  Abbott,  H.  P.  Gill, 

Secretaries— Isaac  K.  Gage,  Charles  E.  Chadwick,  C.  M.  Rolfe. 

Committee  of  Arrangements — Isaac  K.  Gage,  T.  O.  Wilson,  Charles  J. 
Ellsworth,  Charles  W.  Webster,  John  E.  Itines. 

Committee  on  Grounds — John  C.  Gage,  Walter  E.  Sweatt,  Asa  M. 
Gage,  Joseph  Chandler. 

Committee  on  Refreshments — Ilarley  C,  Gage,  Geo,  A.  Morse,  Charles 
W,  Webster,  L.  W.  Couch,  David  Abbott. 

Committee  on  National  Salute — Hannibal  Bonney,  D.  E.  Jones,  Chas. 
Meagher. 

Committee  on  FireworJcs—'^Yl\]le  H.  Bonney,  IST,  R.  Greeley,  A,  G. 
Kimball,  W.  B.  Hardy. 

Committee  on  il/(wjc— Samuel  (t.  Noyes,  Henry  T.  Foote,  T.  O.  Wil- 
son, John  Taylor. 

Coynmittee  on  Oration—lsaaa  K.  Gage,  N,  Butler,  J.  C.  Gage,  D,  F. 
Kimball. 

3£arshals~T.  O.  Wilson,  D.  F.  Kimball,  E.  G.  Wood,  S.  K.  Mann. 

Toast- Master— Rqv.  A.  C.  Hardy. 


216  CIVIL    HISTORY,  [1876. 

At  sunrise  the  bells  were  rung,  and  a  national  salute  of  thirteen  guns 
was  fired;  at  noon  the  bells  were  again  rung,  and  a  salute  of  twenty-six 
guns  fired. 

At  2  o'clock,  exercises  were  held  in  the  grove  east  of  Penacook  Acad- 
emy, as  follows : 

Prayer  by  Rev.  J.  E.  Burr;  reading  of  the  Declaration  of  Indepen- 
dence by  Rev.  J.  A.  Freeman  ;  oration  by  Charles  C  Coffin,  Esq.,  of 
Boston. 

Near  the  close  of  the  oration  (indications  of  a  shower  appearing)  the 
audience  repaired  to  Academy  Hall.  After  the  oration,  !-entiments 
were  proposed  by  Rev.  A.  C.  Hardy,  Toast-Master,  and  responded  to 
as  follows  : 

'  The  Past,  Present,  and  Future  of  our  Government,'  by  N.  Butler, 
Esq. 

'  The  Day  we  Celebrate,'  by  E.  G.  Wood,  Esq. 

'  The  Mother  Country,'  by  Rev.  J.  A.  Freeman. 

'  The  Old  Folks  at  Home  '  by  Col.  D.  F.  Kimball. 

'  Boscawen's  Son,  the  town  of  Webster,'  by  J.  C.  Pearson,  Esq. 

'  The  Orator  of  the  Day,'  by  C.  C.  Coffin,  Esq. 

The  exercises  were  interspersed  with  singing,  accompanied  by  an  or- 
gan and  cornet,  under  the  direction  of  S.  G.  Noyes. 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  afternoon  and  early  evening,  sixty-one 
guns  were  fired,  making  one  hundred  in  all,  and  bells  were  rung  at  sun- 
set. 

At  dark  a  large  concourse  of  people  assembled  at  Penacook  Square, 
to  witness  the  grand  display  of  fireworks  that  had  been  procured  for 
the  occasion.  The  display  was  very  fine,  considering  the  dampness  of 
the  atmosphere,  which  affected  their  burning  very  much.  Unfortunate- 
ly, before  they  were  all  burned,  tiie  rain  dispersed  the  crowd. 

Notwithstanding  the  interruption  by  the  rain  during  the  oration,  and 
of  the  fireworks  in  the  evening,  all  who  participated  in  the  celebration 
enjoyed  the  exercises,  and  will  long  remember  the  Centennial  of  1876," 


[1860. 


WEBSTEE. 


^1  HE  act  jiassed  bj-  the  legislature  of  1S60,  incorporating  the 
^^section  west  of  Beaver-dam  as  a  separate  town,  was  approved 
by  the  governor  July  4th,  and  became  a  law. 

ACT    OF    IXCOKPORATIOX. 

"an  act  to  divide    TIIP    TOW.V   OF    BOSCAAVEX   AND  CONSTITUTE  THE 
TOWN    OF    WEBSTER. 

"iJe  it  enacted  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  in  General  Court 
convened  : 

"  Section  1.  That  all  that  part  of  the  town  of  Bo.scawen  lying  west- 
erly of  the  following  described  line,  to  wit, — beginning  at  the  centre  of 
Beaver-dam  brook,  so-called,  on  the  nortlierly  boundary  line  of  said 
town,  and  running  thence  southerly  along  the  centre  of  said  brook  to 
Conch  pond,  so-called;  thence  in  a  straight  line  across  said  pond  to  the 
brook  connecting  the  same  with  Great  pond,  so-called  ;  thence  along 
the  centre  of  said  last  mentioned  brook  to  said  Great  pond  ;  thence 
in  a  straight  line  across  said  Great  pond  to  the  brook  running  there- 
from at  the  southerly  end  thereof;  thence  along  the  centre  of  said  brook 
until  it  strikes  the  southerly  side  of  the  highway  near  Burbank's  mills, 
so-called,  leading  from  Ephraim  Plumer's  to  Dodge's  mills,  so-called  ; 
thence  easterly  along  the  southerly  side  of  said  highway,  to  a  point  in  a 
line  with  the  westerly  side  line  of  the  fifth  range  of  the  forty-five  acre 
lots  in  the  fourth  division,  as  originally  laid  out  ;  thence  southerly  to 
and  along  said  westerly  side  line  of  said  fifth  range,  and  in  continua- 
tion of  the  same  direction,  to  the  southerly  boundary  line  of  said  Bos- 
cawen,  be,  and  the  same  hereby  is,  severed  from  said  town,  and  made 
a  body  politic  and  corporate,  by  the  name  of  Webster. 

"Sec.  2.  All  real  and  personal  property,  including  all  debts,  claims, 
and  demands  of  any  kind,  now  owned  by  and  due  to  the  town  of  Bos- 


218  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1860. 

cawen  ;  all  school  and  other  funds  belonging  to  said  town  ;  and  the 
proportion  of  the  literary  fund,  which  until  a  new  apportionment  of 
state  taxes  shall  be  payable  to  said  towns,  shall  be  divided  between 
them  in  the  proportion  of  five  dollars  to  Boscawen  and  three  dollars 
and  fifty  cents  to  Webster  ;  and  if  said  towns  cannot  agree  upon  the 
division  of  any  such  projjerty,  George  W.  Nesmith  of  Franklin,  Asa  P- 
Gate  of  Northfield,  and  John  Abbott  of  Concord,  upon  request  of  either 
town,  may  make  division  of  the  same,  or  assign  the  same,  or  any  part 
thereof,  to  either  of  said  towns,  and  may  order  the  town  to  which 
such  property  may  be  assigned  to  pay  over  such  sums  of  money  to  the 
other  town  as  in  their  opinion  is  equitable,  according  to  the  foregoing 
propositions,  and  may  fix  the  time  of  payment. 

"Sec.  3.  All  taxes  assessed  since  March  last  upon  the  polls  and  estate 
of  persons  residing  in  said  Webster  as  hereby  constituted,  all  non-resi- 
dent taxes  assessed  since  March  last  in  said  town,  shall  be  collected  by 
the  collector  to  whom  the  same  has  been  committed  for  that  purpose, 
and,  after  deducting  therefrom  the  state  and  county  taxes,  sliall  be  by 
him  paid  over  to  said  town  of  Webster  in  the  same  manner  in  which  he 
is  directed  to  pay  the  same  to  the  town  of  Boscawen  before  the  divi- 
sion thereof;  and  the  treasurer  of  AVebster,  when  duly  chosen  and 
qualified,  shall  have  the  same  power  to  issue  an  extent  against  such  col- 
lector, for  any  neglect  to  comply  with  the  provisions  of  this  act,  that  he 
■would  have  if  such  collector  had  been  chosen  by  said  town  of  Webster. 
"  Sec.  4.  All  debts  and  liabilities  heretofore  incurred  by  said  town  of 
Boscawen,  and  all  municipal  expenses  of  said  town  since  the  first  day  of 
March  last  shall  be  paid  by  the  aforesaid  towns  in  the  same  proportion 
as  hereinbefore  prescribed  for  the  division  of  property. 

"  Sec.  5.  All  paupers  now  supported  by,  and  in  the  actual  receipt  of 
assistance  from  said  Boscawen,  shall  be  supported  by  the  towns  of  Bos- 
cawen and  Webster,  each  contributing  in  the  same  proportion  as  herein- 
before mentioned  for  the  division  of  property,  until  such  time  as  either 
of  said  towns  shall  call  for  a  division  of  said  paupers;  and  if  said  towns 
do  not  agree  upon  a  division,  the  aforesaid  Nesmith,  Gate,  and  Abbott 
shall,  upon  the  request  of  either  of  said  towns,  determine  and  assign  to 
each  of  them  its  proportion  of  said  paupers,  upon  the  same  basis,  as 
near  as  practicable,  as  that  prescribed  for  a  division  of  the  town  prop- 
erty, and  determine  which  of  said  paupers  shall  be  supported  by  each 
of  said  towns. 

"  Sec.  6.  In  all  assessments  of  state  and  county  taxes  until  the  legis- 
lature shall  otherwise  order,  Boscawen,  after  this  division  thereof,  shall 
pay  four  dollars  and  twenty-two  cents,  and  Webster  two  dollars  and 
ninety-six  cents ;  and  the  state  and  county  treasurers  shall  issue  their 
respective  warrants  accordingly. 


18G2.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  219 

"Sec.  7.  Simeon  B,  Little,  Jeremiah  S.  Webber,  and  Joseph  L. 
Condi,  or  any  two  of  them,  may  call  the  first  meeting  of  said  town  of 
Webster,  by  posting  up  a  warrant  for  that  purpose  as  the  law  directs  ; 
at  wliich  meeting  either  of  said  persons  may  preside  until  a  moderator 
be  chosen;  and  at  such  meeting  all  necessary  town  officers  may  be 
chosen. 

"  Sec.  8.   This  act  shall  take  effect  from  and  after  its  passage. 

"Approved  July  4,  1860." 

FIRST    TOWN-MEETING. 

The  first  town-meeting  Avas  liold  Aug.  11.  Simeon  B.  Little 
was  chosen  moderator  and  David  E.  Burhank  town-clei'k.  The 
highest  number  of  votes  cast  was  204. 

Nov.  6,  18(30.  At  the  meeting  for  choice  of  electors  for  Presi- 
dent and  Vice-President  of  the  United  States,  measures  were 
taken  to  form  a  settlement  with  the  town  of  Boscawen. 

Voted  That  the  selectmen  be  authorized  to  settle  the  division  of  prop- 
erty, and  all  other  matters  contemplated  by  the  act  of  tlie  legislature 
constituting  this  town,  with  the  town  of  Bo-cawen;  provided,  that  said 
town  of  Boscawen  shall  make  propositions  for  tliat  purpose  in  their 
judgment  equitable  and  just,  in  \yhich  case  they  be  authorized  to  make 
conveyance  of  real  or  other  estate,  as  may  be  necessary  for  a  final  dis- 
position of  the  matter.  In  default  of  such  equitable  proposition  let  the 
settlement  be  made  as  provided  in  said  act  as  the  final  resort." 

March  12,  1861. 

^^Voted,  To  adopt  tlie  same  method  to  repair  highways  as  formerly  in 
the  town  of  Boscawen   reserving  one  fourth  of  the  tax  for  winter  use." 

^^  Voted,  Not  to  revise  the  constitution." 

Twelve  hundred  dollars  was  raised  for  town  expenses. 

^^  Voted,  To  refer  the  organization  of  the  school  districts  affected  by 
the  late  division  to  the  selectmen." 

Jan.  15,  1862.  The  citizens  of  Webster  manifested  their  pat- 
riotism in  common  witli  the  citizens  of  surrounding  towns,  by  vot- 
ing, at  a  meeting  held  Jan.  15,  to  support  the  families  of  those 
soldiers  who  had  enlisted ;  and  the  selectmen  were  authorized  to 
hire  money  for  that  purpose. 

March  11.  At  the  annual  meeting,  the  town  raised  |1,200  for 
current  expenses. 


220  CIVIL   HISTORY.  [1863. 

^^  Voted,  To  raise  seventy-five  cents  on  a  dollar  of  the  reduced  valua- 
tion for  the  repair  of  highways  the  present  year,  one  half  of  which  shall 
be  reserved  for  winter  use." 

A  code  of  by-la-ws  Avas  adopted,  prohibiting  cattle  and  sheep 
from  running  at  large. 

PATRIOTISM. 

Although  there  were  many  citizens  in  the  town  who  felt  that 
the  war  was  unnecessary,  and  might  have  been  avoided,  and  who 
were  opposed  to  the  acts  of  the  administration,  yet  they  acqui- 
esced in  what  was  done  to  suppress  the  rebellion.  A  few  only 
allowed  their  political  prejudices  to  carry  them  far  enough  to 
oppose  inducements  for  enlistment. 

Aug.  7.  A  meeting  was  held  to  see  what  action  the  town 
would  take  to  encourage  enlistments. 

^^  Voted,  That  the  town  pay  one  hundred  dollars  to  each  recruit  who  is 
an  inhabitant  of  this  town,  who  will  enlist  before  the  eigliteenth  of  the 
present  month  for  tlie  term  of  three  years,  not  to  exceed  the  quota  re- 
quired of  tins  town,  to  be  paid  when  mustered  into  the  service." 

Yeas,  50  ;  nays,  13. 

^^  Voted,  That  the  selectmen  he  authorized  to  hire  a  sum  not  exceed- 
ing three  thousand  dollars,  to  meet  the  expense  of  paying  the  above 
bounty  to  volunteers." 

Another  town-meeting  was  called  Sept.  3. 

'^  Voted,  Tiiat  the  town  pay  to  volunteers  for  nine  months  in  the  army 
of  the  United  States,  one  hundred  dollars  each,  upon  their  being  mus- 
tered into  the  ^;e^vice  of  the  United  States,  and  the  selectmen  are  em- 
powered to  hire  money  sufficient  to  pay  tlie  same." 

1863.     At  a  town-meeting  held  7th  Jan., — 

"Fo/eJ,  That  the  selectmen  be  instructed  to  pay  the  families  of  all 
volunteers  who  have  left  a  wife,  four  dollars  per  month,  and,  on  the 
claimant  making  a  statement  of  her  property  and  means  of  living,  un- 
der oath  if  required,  more,  if,  in  their  judgment,  the  circumstances  of  their 
families  require  it;  and  all  as  [who]  claim  as  other  relatives  shall  make  a 
written  statement,  under  oath,  if  required,  of  their  property  and  means 
of  living,  and  the  selectmen  shall  decide  whether  they  are  entitled  un- 
der the  law  under  which  they  claim." 

^^  Voted,  That  the  selectmen  be  authorized  to  hire  such  sum  of  money 


1863.]  CIVIL    HISTORY.  221 

as  may  be  necessary  for  the  support  of  families  of  volunteers,  not  to  ex- 
ceed five  thousand  dollars." 

'^Voled,  That  the  selectmen  procure  men  to  fill  the  town's  quota  on 
the  best  terms  they  can,  and  pay  from  any  money  belunging  to  the 
town  not  otherwise  appropriated.'' 

Mar.  10.  Twenty -live  luindred  dollars  was  voted  for  current 
expenses. 

Sept.  7.     In  town-meeting, — 

^'Resolved,  That  the  town  of  Webster  pay  to  its  drafted  men,  and  all 
those  that  may  be  drafted,  or  their  substitutes,  the  sum  of  tiiree  hun- 
dred dollars,  in  accordance  with  an  act  of  the  legislature  passed  June 
session,  1803,  and  approved  July  10,  1863." 

^'■Voled,  That  tiie  selectmen  be  authorized  to  iiire  such  sum  of  money 
as  may  be  necessary  to  pay  the  bounties  of  its  drafted  men,  or  their 
substitutes,  not  to  exceed  the  sum  of  five  thousand  dollars." 

Nov.  13. 

'^  Voted,  That  the  selectmen  be  instructed  to  fill  the  town's  quota  on 
the  best  terms  they  can." 

"Voted,  That  the  selectmen  be  authorized  to  hire  a  sum  of  money  not 
to  exceed  five  thousand  dollars." 

1864.     Mar.  8.     The  town  voted  $1,500  for  current  expenses. 

"Fo/erZ,  That  a  bounty  of  three  hundred  dollars  bo  paid  to  its  veteran 
volunteers,  who  have  or  may  reenlist  to  the  credit  of  tiie  town,  and 
authorize  the  selectmen  to  raise  money  for  the  same.'* 

June  10.  A  special  town-meeting  was  called  to  take  measures 
to  promote  enlistments. 

"  Voted,  That  the  selectmen  be  instructed  to  procure  nine  volunteers, 
to  be  credited  to  the  town  of  Webster,  and  that  they  proceed  fortiiwith 
with  the  business." 

''Voted,  That  the  selectmen  be  authorized  to  hire  a  sum  of  money  not 
to  exceed  ten  thousand  dollars." 

Town-meeting  was  held  8th  Nov.,  for  choosing  five  electors  of 
President  and  Vice-President  of  U.  8.  A. 

On  the  question,  "  Is  it  expedient  that  a  commission  be  called 
to  revise  the  constitution  ?"  the  vote  was, — yeas,  100 ;  nays,  55. 
Of  the  foregoing  votes  for  the  proposition,  ninety-five  had  the 
following  qualification  annexed : 


222  CIVIL    HISTORY.  [1867. 

"  The  convention  to  be  limited  in  its  action  to  making  provision  for 
allowing  qualified  voters  in  tlie  military  and  naval  service  of  the  coun- 
try to  exercise  the  right  to  vote  while  absent  from  the  state." 

Dec.  14 

^^Vote<l,  That  the  town  will  furnish  a  substitute  for  each  enrolled  man 
who  has  or  may  furnish  the  selectmen  the  sum  of  two  hundred  dollars. 
The  number  to  be  limited  to  a  sufficient  number  to  fill  the  quota  of  the 
town  under  a  future  call  for  500,000  men,  and  that  the  selectmen  be 
authorized  to  hire  a  sum  of  money  sufficient  for  the  purpose." 

The  town  not  only  filled  its  quota,  but  at  tlie  close  of  tlie  war 
had  thirteen  soldiers  standing  to  its  credit. 
1865.     March  14. 

"Fo/er7,  To  raise  thirty-five  hundred  dollars  to  defray  town  charges 
for  the  ensuing  year." 

COUNTY    ALMS-HOUSE. 

The  town  voted  that  it  was  expedient  for  the  county  to  pur- 
chase a  farm  and  buildings  for  a  county  alms-house.  The  farm 
first  occupied  hy  Col.  Henry  Gerrisli,  on  Fish  street,  was  sub- 
seqxiently  purchased  for  that  purpose.  The  town  of  Webster 
therefore  never  has  established  an  alms-liouse. 

Fifteen  dollars  was  voted  to  the  "  Teachers'  Institute,"  or 
rather  to  the  conventions  held  by  the  teachers  of  the  common 
schools,  from  time  to  time,  by  the  teachers  in  the  county. 

March  13,  1866.  At  the  annual  meeting  fifteen  ballotings 
were  had  for  representative  without  an  election,  and  the  town 
therefore  was  unrepresented  during  the  year. 

Two  per  cent,  on  the  valuation  was  voted  for  current  exj^enses, 
the  higliest  tax  ever  assessed. 

The  selectmen  were  instructed  to  use  all  necessary  means  to 
secure  the  payment  of  a  claim  against  the  state  for  bounties  ad- 
vanced in  1864. 

Marcli  12,  1867.  Tbe  tax  levy  for  1866  having  proved  more 
than  sufficient  for  current  expenses,  a  levy  of  only  one  and  one 
fourtli  per  cent,  of  the  valuation  was  needed  for  the  year.  Not- 
withstanding the  heavy  burdens  entailed  by  the  war,  the  citizens 
manifested  their  determination  to  allow  no  deterioration  of  their 


1872.]  CIVIL    HISTORY,  223 

educational  institutions  by  voting  to  raise  one  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  in  addition  to  the  amount  required  by  law. 

Marcli  10,  1868.  Voted  to  raise  one  and  one  half  per  cent,  on 
the  polls  and  ratable  estates  to  defray  current  expenses. 

TAXATION    OF    UNITED    STATES    BONDS. 

Should  the  bonds  of  the  United  States  be  taxed  ?  The  ques- 
tion greatly  agitated  the  public.  Tlie  loan  of  the  United  States, 
authorizing  the  issue  of  bonds,  exempted  them  from  taxation, 
and  every  man  who  had  money  for  investment  became  a  bond- 
holder. In  consequence,  a  large  aniount  of  capital  escaped  tax- 
ation. The  exemption  was  felt  to  be  a  hardship  on  the  poor, 
and  a  benefit  to  the  rich. 

The  following  question  was  presented  to  the  town : 

"  To  see  if  the  town  will  petition  Congress  to  levy  a  tax  on  all  the 
bonds  of  tlie  United  States,  not  exceeding  one  per  cent,  semi-annually, 
and  make  the  same  a  lien  on  the  coupons  and  interest  of  said  bonds, 
and  set  the  same  apart  as  a  sinking  fund,  to  be  applied  in  the  purchase 
of  the  debt  of  the  United  States  in  such  manner  as  Congress  may 
direct." 

The  proposition  was  rejected.     Yeas,  31 ;  nays,  38. 

March  9,  1869.  Four  thousand  five  hundred  dollars  was  voted 
for  current  expenses.  It  was  voted  to  fund  the  debt  of  the 
town,  and  the  selectmen  were  authorized  to  issue  bonds  to  that 
end. 

November  9.  A  meeting  was  held  to  take  action  upon  the 
question  of  establishing  a  state  police.  Voted  in  the  negative. 
Yeas,  8 ;  nays,  45. 

March  14,  1870.  Five  thousand  dollars  was  raised  for  current 
expenses. 

BUKIAL-PLACE. 

1871.  Voted  to  laj'  out  a  burying-place  on  the  lot  of  land 
now  occupied  by  William  Clough  and  others. 

March  12,  1872.  Four  thousand  dollars  was  raised  for  cur- 
rent expense. 


224  CIVIL   HISTORY.  [1876. 

EXEMPTIOX    OF    MILLS    FKOM    TAXATION. 

A  meeting  was  held  18  May,  to  see  if  the  town  would  adopt 
an  act  of  the  legislatvire  exempting  mills  from  taxation. 

The  following  resolution  was  passed  by  yea  and  nay  vote. 
Yeas,  33  ;  nays,  1. 

^'■Resolved,  That  the  town  of  Webster  will  exempt  from  taxation,  for 
five  years,  any  sum  of  money  between  eight  and  twenty  thousand  dol- 
lars, the  capital  to  be  invested  in  mills  and  machinery,  material  or  stock, 
for  the  manufacture  of  fabrics  of  cotton  or  wool,  or  any  other  material; 
and  further,  that  the  town  will  exempt,  for  a  term  of  ten  years,  any 
sums  of  money  between  twenty  and  one  hundred  thousand  dollars. 
Provided,  that  such  exemption  shall  apply  only  when  such  sums  of 
money  shall  have  been  expended  in  mills  and  machinery,  material  or 
stock." 

1873.  INIar.  11.  Five  thousand  dollars  was  voted  for  current 
expenses  and  interest,  and  for  the  reduction  of  the  debt.  The 
town  thus  resolutely  set  its  face  for  the  extinguishment  of  its 
indebtedness. 

1871.  Mar.  10.  Four  thousand  five  hundred  dollars  was  voted 
for  expenses  and  interest ;  and  the  selectmen  were  authorized,  in 
case  that  amount  was  not  sufficient,  to  sell  "  so  many  of  the  state 
bonds  at  par  and  interest  as  will  meet  the  deficit." 

1875.  Mar.  9.     Voted  to  raise  $2,000  for  current  expenses. 

'■'■Voted,  That  the  selectmen  be  authorized  to  make  such  exchange  of 
its  municipal  war  loan  bonds  for  the  unmatured  bonds  of  the  town,  as 
they  think  will  be  for  the  best  interest  of  the  town." 

1876.  Mar.  14.     Voted  to  raise  .f  2,500  for  current  expenses. 

HISTORY    OF    THE    TOWX. 

The  9th  article  of  the  warrant  was  as  follows  : 

"•  To  see  what  sum  of  money,  if  any,  the  town  will  raise  towards  pub- 
lishing a  history  of  Boscawen,  including  that  of  Webster,  up  to  1860, 
by  C.  C.  Coffin." 

'■'■Voted,  to  pass  over  article  9  in  the  warrant." 

The  town  voted  for  a  revision  of  the  constitution.  Ayes,  52 ; 
nays,  33. 


1877.]  CIVIL   HISTORY.  225 

On  the  16th  of  August,  the  99th  anniversary  of  the  battle  of 
Bennington  was  celebrated  in  the  Congregational  meeting-house, 
by  exercises  appropriate  to  the  occasion. 

Sherman  Little,  Esq.,  was  president  of  the  day.  An  oration 
was  delivered  by  Charles  C.  Coffin,  of  Boston,  followed  by  ad- 
dresses by  Rev.  Arthur  Little,  of  Fondulac,  Wis.,  Rev.  E.  Buxton, 
and  others,  with  music  by  a  select  quartette,  and  an  original  song 
by  Maj.  Alfred  Little. 

Nov.  7.  The  state  having  voted  a  convention  for  the  revision 
of  the  constitution,  the  town  elected  as  its  delegate  Rev.  Edward 
Buxton. 

THE    HISTOKY    AGAIN. 

The  4th  article  in  the  warrant  was  ''  to  see  if  the  town  will  vote 
to  raise  a  sum  of  money  to  assist  C.  C.  Coffin  in  publishing  a  his- 
tory of  the  town  of  Boscawen ;"  and  the  town  again  voted  to  pass 
over  the  article,  thus  declaring  that  in  its  corporate  capacity  it 
would  do  nothing  towards  preserving  its  historical  documents. 

1877.  Mar.  13.  The  sum  of  two  thousand  dollars  was  raised 
for  current  expenses. 

The  following  resolution  was  passed, — yeas,  36 ;  nays,  32  : 

'■'Resolved,  That  the  act  of  the  town  passed  ISth  May,  1877,  exempt- 
ing certain  property  belonging  to  the  Blackvvater  Mill  Co.,  so-called,  be 
rescinded." 

This  closes  the  municipal  records  of  the  town  of  Webster.  From 
the  incorporation  of  the  town,  in  1860,  through  a  period  of  seven- 
teen years,  little  but  routine  business  has  been  transacted  at  the 
meetings  of  the  town. 

15 


[1758. 


ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTOET 


THE    FIRST    CHURCH. 

gfiraNE  of  the  conditions  of  the  grant  to  the  proprietors  of  Contoo- 
^^*^ook  was,  that  one  eighty-fourth  part  of  the  land  should  be 
set  aside  for  a  parsonage,  and  one  additional  eighty-fourth  for  the 
minister ;  and  that  a  "  learned  and  Orthodox  minister  "  should  be 
settled  within  the  space  of  four  years.  We  have  seen  in  the  civil 
history  how,  above  all  other  things,  the  proprietors  cared  for  the 
religious  interests  of  the  town.  They  were  Congregationalists. 
They  believed  that  the  church  polity,  which  had  its  origin  with 
John  Eobinson,  William  Brewster,  and  the  men  of  Scrooby  and 
Austerfield,  in  old  England,  which  made  every  body  of  believers  a 
church,  with  power  to  regulate  their  own  affairs  independently  of 
bishop,  priest,  or  pope,  by  a  majority  vote,  was  the  polity  most 
conformable  to  that  established  by  Christ  and  the  apostles.  It 
was  the  polity  of  the  churches  of  Massachusetts.  The  church 
was  the  state.  The  town  was  under  obligation  to  support  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel.  Any  breach  of  that  obligation, — any 
refusal  to  provide  for  the  support  of  the  minister, — would  have 
been  a  forfeiture  of  the  charter.  The  minister  had  a  claim  upon 
the  town  for  his  salary,  and  could  invoke  the  aid  of  the  law  in 
case  of  any  delinquency  on  the  part  of  the  town.  The  first  meet- 
ing-house in  the  state  was  erected  at  Dover,  1633 ;  but  so  slow 
was  the  advancement  of  civilization,  that  in  1670  there  were 
only  three  settled  ministers  in  the  state — at  Dover,  Hampton,  and 
Exeter.     In  1700,  there  were  but  five  churches. 


Congregational   Meeting-House,  Boscawen. 


1758.]  ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY.  227 


MINISTERS     OATHS. 


At  that  time  ministers  were  required  to  take  the  oath  of  alle- 
giance to  his  Majesty  George  II,  and  to  swear  that  "from  their 
hearts  they  abhorred,  detested,  abjured  as  impious  and  heretical, 
that  damnable  doctrine,  that  princes,  excommunicated  or  deprived 
by  the  Pope,  or  any  authority  of  the  see  of  Eome,  may  be  deposed 
or  murdered  by  their  subjects  or  any  whatsoever." 

On  the  28th  of  Jul}^,  1747,  seventeen  Congregational  ministers, 
from  the  towns  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  state,  met  at  Exeter 
and  formed  what  they  called  "  The  General  Convention  of  Minis- 
ters in  the  Province  of  New  Hampshire."  The  whole  number  of 
ministers  in  the  state  was  about  thirty. 

DARTMOUTH    COLLEGE. 

In  1758  the  ministers  united  in  a  petition  to  Gov.  Penning 
Wentworth  for  a  charter  "  for  erecting  an  academy  or  colleo-e." 
At  that  time  Rev.  Eleazer  Wheelock  was  attempting  to  bring  the 
Indians  within  the  pale  of  civilization  by  giving  them  a  Christian 
education  in  a  school  which  he  had  established  at  Lebanon  Conn. 
Among  his  pupils  was  the  son  of  Sir  Wm.  Johnson,  a  half-breed 
known  in  later  years  as  "  Bundle  of  Sticks,"  or  Brant,  who  took 
part  in  the  massacre  of  Wyoming.  The  ministers  of  New  Hamp- 
shire heartily  endorsed  Mr.  Wheelock's  philanthropic  plan,  and 
invited  him  to  remove  his  school  to  some  locality  in  the  state. 
The  Merrimack  and  Connecticut  valleys  were  the  most  inviting 
sections.  No  document  is  in  existence  to  verify  the  statement 
but  it  has  come  down  by  tradition,  that  the  farm  now  owned  by 
Mrs.  Francis  S.  French,  a  half  mile  north  of  the  "  Hollow  "  was 
selected  as  a  desirable  and  suitable  location.  But  Mr.  Wheelock 
had  his  own  plans.  He  conceived  the  idea  of  establishino-  his 
school  on  the  basis  of  the  universities  of  the  old  world,  makino-  the 
school  independent  of  town  jurisdiction,  with  power  to  make 
its  own  laws.  He  selected  the  site  now  occupied  by  Dartmouth 
college,  and  named  the  locality  Dresden.  The  ministers  of  the 
state  gave  him  their  support.  They  had  the  welfare  of  the  peo- 
ple at  heart,  and  in  1770  resolved,  in  convention,  "to  take  meas- 
ures for  supplying  the  back  settlements  with  the  gospel." 


228  ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY.  [1779. 

PATRIOTISM    OF    MINISTERS. 

During  tlie  revolution,  tliey,  with  but  one  exception,  ranged 
themselves  on  the  side  of  liberty.  The  exception  -was  Eev.  Ran- 
na  Cosset,  of  Claremont.  Mr.  Cosset  was  not,  however,  regularly 
settled  in  the  ministry.  It  is  not  known  that  his  disloyalty  to 
liberty  extended  beyond  his  refusal  to  sign  the  Association  Test. 
Throughout  the  war  the  ministers,  by  precept  and  example,  used 
their  influence  to  sustain  the  cause  of  the  people. 

THE    PISCATAQUA    ASSOCIATION. 

The  ministers,  during  the  war,  came  to  comprehend  that  in  union 
there  is  strength. 

Up  to  this  period  each  pastor  had  cared  for  the  interests  of  his  ow^n 
charge ;  but  with  the  advance  of  settlements  they  felt  the  neces- 
sity of  concerted  action  for  sustaining  religious  institutions,  and 
united  in  forming  the  Piscataqua  Association, — the  first  ecclesias- 
tical organization  in  the  state. 

The  Haverhill  Association,  composed  of  ministers  in  Massachu- 
setts and  New  Hampshire,  was  formed  Aug.  17,  1779.  Those  in 
New  Hampshire  afterwards  took  the  name  of  Derry  Association. 

The  Northern  Association  on  Merrimack  river  was  formed  in 
1788,  and  included  the  ministers  from  Goffstown  to  Thornton, 
extending  west  to  Hillsborough.  The  name  w^as  changed  to  the 
Hopkinton  Association  in  1806. 

The  Monadnock  Association  was  formed  1794;  the  Orange, 
1801 ;  the  Plymouth,  1806 ;  the  Hollis,  1808. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  "  General  Convention,"  at  Hopkinton, 
1807,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  correspond  with  the  different 
associations,  with  a  view  of  establishing  a  General  Association. 

THE    GENERAL    ASSOCIATION. 

The  correspondence  resulted  in  the  organization  of  what  is 
now  known  as  "The  General  Association  of  New  Hampshire." 
The  first  meeting  after  its  organization  was  held  in  Boscawen, 
on  the  third  Tuesday  in  September,  1809.  In  1859  the  fiftieth 
anniversary  was  held  in  Boscawen.  The  sermon  on  that  occasion 
was  preached  by  Eev.  Nathaniel  Bouton,  d.  d.,  of  Concord,  who 


1779.]  ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY.  229 

drew  the  following  picture  of  the  first  meeting  held  for  business 
in  the  south  front  room  of  Dr.  "Wood's  house. 

"About  two  and  a  half  miles  westerly  of  the  spot  where  we  are  now 
convened  stands  a  humble  dwelling,  overshaded  by  a  thick  foliage  of 
trees,  and  partially  secluded  from  the  view  of  the  passing  traveller.  It 
was  for  many  years  the  hospitable  mansion  of  the  former  pastor  of  this 
flock, — the  Rev.  Samuel  Wood,  d.  d.  Fifty  years  ago,  at  this  hour  of 
the  morning,  there  might  be  seen  in  that  house,  in  the  southeast  room, 
which  was  the  study  of  the  pastor,  a  little  company  of  reverend  men, — 
some  in  the  maturity,  others  in  the  prime  of  manhood,  but  all  serious, 
earnest,  devout,  animated  by  one  spirit,  and  ardent  in  the  pursuit  of 
one  object. 

"In  the  chair,  as  moderator,  sat  the  venerable  Elihu  Thayer,  d.  d., 
pastor  of  the  church  in  Kingston,  eminent  for  learning  and  piety,  sound 
in  doctrine  according  to  the  standard  of  the  Puritan  fathers  and  the 
word  of  God,  and  iield  in  high  repute  by  all  his  brethren.  At  the  table, 
with  pen  in  hand,  sat  Rev.  John  H.  Church,  pastor  of  the  church  in 
Pelham,  then  in  the  vigor  of  life,  of  spare  but  manly  form,  of  serious 
and  holy  aspect,  his  countenance  beaming  with  grace  and  wisdom.  He 
is  commencing  a  book  of  records,  from  which,  for  more  than  thirty  con- 
secutive years,  his  name  is  never  to  disappear,  but  which,  unthought  of 
by  him,  is  to  transmit  his  name  to  future  generations.  Sitting  in  thought- 
ful silence  is  the  Rev.  Jesse  Remington,  of  the  church  of  Candia,  colleague 
delegate  with  Dr.  Thayer  from  the  Deerfield  Association — sound  in  or- 
thodox faith,  and  respected  as  a  father  in  the  ministry.  Rev.  Samuel 
Wood  and  Rev.  Thomas  Worcester,  of  Salisbury,  delegates  from  the 
Hopkinton  Association  ;  Rev.  John  Kelley,  of  Ilampstead;  Rev.  Moses 
Bradford,  the  zealous  and  successful  pastor  of  the  church  in  Frances- 
town  ;  Rev.  William  Rolfe,  pastor  of  the  church  in  Groton,  delegate 
from  the  Plymoutli  Association;  and  Rev.  William  F.  Rowland,  of  the 
first  church  in  Exeter,  a  gentleman  of  courteous  manners,  dignified 
presence,  and  eminent  for  his  ready  gifts  and  his  ability  in  prayer. 
They  were  nine  in  number,  and  this  was  the  first  meeting  after  its  or- 
ganization of  the  General  Association  of  New  Hampshire." 

TRACT    DISTRIBUTION". 

The  public  meetings  drew  together  a  great  congregation  from 
Boscawen  and  the  surrounding  towns.  They  continued  three 
days.  Everybody  kept  open  doors,  and  there  was  unbounded 
hospitality.  The  association  thus  formed,  at  its  meeting  in  1811, 
held  at  Dunbarton,  took  active  measures  for  the  formation  of  the 


230  ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY.  [1802. 

New  Hampsliire  Bible  Society ;  also  measures  which  resulted  in 
the  founding  of  the  Kimball  Union  Academy  at  Meriden.  A 
plan  was  adopted  to  procure  religious  tracts  for  charitable  distri- 
bution. Rev.  Dr.  Church  was  chairman  of  the  committee,  and 
four  thousand  copies  of  a  ''  Child's  Memorial,  or,  The  Happy  Death 
of  Dinah  Doudney,"  were  distributed.  The  next  year  four  thou- 
sand copies  of  Prof.  Porter's  sermon,  on  the  drinking  of  ardent 
spirits,  were  distributed,  also  four  thousand  copies  of  a  tract,  the 
"  Great  Criminality  of  Sabbath-Breaking."  This  movement  was 
two  and  a  half  years  in  advance  of  the  formation  of  the  New 
England  Tract  Society,  formed  1814.  It  was  the  first  movement 
in  that  direction  on  this  continent. 

Thus  we  see  that  in  Boscawen  the  first  steps  were  taken  which 
led  to  the  organized  systematic  Christian  benevolence  which 
characterizes  the  present  age. 

In  the  Civil  History,  we  have  seen  the  gradual  progress  of  dis- 
sent from  the  established  order  of  things — the  growth  of  the 
idea  that  there  should  be  a  severance  of  church  and  state — re- 
sulting in  the  request  of  Rev.  Dr.  Wood  that  there  should  be  a 
dissolution  of  his  settlement,  so  far  as  the  town  was  concerned. 

BOSCAWEX    RELIGIOUS    SOCIETY. 

The  contract  between  Rev.  Samuel  Wood  and  the  town  was  dis- 
solved May  7,  1802,  by  mutual  agreement,  the  town  giving  him 
annually  one  half  of  the  interest  of  the  parsonage,  so  long  as  his 
connection  with  the  church  might  continue.  It  was  further  agreed, 
that  any  persons  contributing  to  his  support  should  not  be  taxed 
by  the  town  for  the  support  of  any  other  preacher. 

Under  such  circumstances,  the  Boscawen  Religious  Society  was 
organized  under  the  following  compact  : 

"  We  whose  names  are  hereto  subscribed  believing  the  Institutions 
of  the  Gospel  ministry  to  be  of  Divine  appointment,  that  it  is  our  Indes- 
pensable  duty  as  well  as  our  greatest  privilege  to  support  it  &  being 
desirous  of  having  the  Rev.  Samuel  Wood  for  our  religious  Instructor 
do  hereby  agree  &  promise  jointly  &  severally  to  pay  him  or  his  agent 
on  the  first  day  of  November  1803  one  hundred  dollars  &  on  the  first 
day  of  JNlay  1804  the  further  sum  of  one  hundred  dollars  as  a 
compensation  to  him  for  preaching  one  year  from  the  first  day  of  May 
1803  &  we  further  promise  to  pay  him  a  sum  yearly  in  the  mouth  of  Nov 


1827.]  ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY.  231 

&  May  not  to  exceed  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  &  not  less  than  two 
hundred  dollars,  but  the  sum  that  shall  be  assessed  to  be  paid  to  him 
shall  be  agreed  on  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  Wood  &  the  Assessors  that  shall 
be  annually  chosen  having  regard  to  the  state  of  the  society  &  his  cir- 
cumstances while  he  continues  a  minister  of  the  gospel  among  us." 

Those  signing  this  compact  were 

Isaac  Pearson,  Simeon  Atkinson, 

George  Jackman,  James  Uran. 

Henry  Gerrish,  Noali  Morrill, 

Timothy  Dix,  Samuel  Morrill, 

Daniel  Peterson,  David  Burbank, 

Joseph  Gerrish,  Denison  Bowers, 

Jeremiah  Morrill,  John  llsley, 

Timothy  Dix,  jr.,  Nathan  Carter, 

Daniel  Carter,  John  Abbott, 

Josepli  H.  Morrill,  Timothy  Noyes, 

Tiiomas  Gilmore,  Wm.  Gill, 

Somersby  Pearson,  John  Gill, 

Isaac  Chandler,  Joseph  Atkinson,  jr., 

Nath"!  Green,  Jeremiah  Burpt-e, 

Eleazer  Burbank,  Jeremiah  Burpee,  jr., 

John  Chandler,  jr.,  Samuel  Uran. 
Job  Abbott, 

George  Jackman  was  elected  clerk. 

The  officers  for  1807  were  Col.  Joseph  Gerrish,  moderator ; 
Somersby  Pearson,  clerk ;  Daniel  Webster,  Joseph  H.  Morrill, 
Joel  French,  committee  to  settle  with  former  assessors. 

Voted  to  apply  for  an  act  of  incorporation,  and  elected  Daniel 
Webster  agent. 

ITEMS    FROM    THE    SOCIETY    RECORDS. 

In  1808  Ezekiel  Webster  officiated  as  clerk.  In  1822  Daniel 
Shepherd  was  chosen  to  keep  order  in  the  galleries. 

1824.     Fifty  dollars  was  raised  to  repair  the  belfr}'-  and  steeple. 

1827.  A  stove  was  purchased,  the  records  having  the  follow- 
ing item  in  the  proceedings  of  the  regular  annual  meeting  of  the 
society. 

"  Voted  to  purchace  at  auction  one  cord  hard  pine  wood  2  feet  long 
split  for  stove  to  be  cut  in  the  spring  which  was  struck  off  to  Lieut 
Nathau  H.  Holt  at  $1.50." 


232  ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY.  [1839. 

1830.  The  meeting-house  shingled. 

1831.  Mr.  Wood's  salary  was  raised  from  $250  to  .f  275. 

1832.  "Voted  that  the  stove  be  repaired  &  the  funnel  be  carried 
through  the  roof." 

'Up  to  this  period  the  funnel  had  been  carried  through  one  of 
the  windows.  A  sudden  change  of  the  wind  sometiunes  sent  the 
smoke  through  the  joints  into  the  house,  filling  it  with  a  cloud 
that  melted  to  tears  those  in  the  congregation  who  possibly  main- 
tained a  stolid  indifference  to  the  truths  proclaimed  from  the  pulpit. 

1833.  Voted,  That  "the  ringing  of  tlie  bell,  sweeping  tlie  raeeting- 
house,  shoveling  paths,  furnishing  good  dry  hard  wood  for  the  stove, 
fires  made  in  proper  season  &  all  to  be  done  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
Assessors  or  the  sexton  should  receive  nothing  for  it." 

Voted,  "  that  the  Assessors  get  some  suitable  person  to  make  an  alter- 
ation &  remove  the  Deacon's  seat  &  procure  a  table  at  the  expense  of 
the  society." 

Voted,  "  that  Doct  Thomas  Peach  be  permitted  to  repair  his  pew  by 
altering  the  part  so  as  not  to  injure  the  house." 

1834.  Rev.  Salmon  Bennet  having  been  settled  as  colleague 
with  Dr.  Wood,  $325  was  raised  for  his  support,  and  $225  for 
the  supi^ort  of  Dr.  Wood. 

Voted  "the  thanks  of  this  society  to  Mr.  Russell  Ambrose  for  orna- 
menting the  public  grounds  south  of  the  meeting-house  by  setting  out 
trees." 

1838.  Voted  "  to  pay  the  expense  for  removing  Rev.  C.  B.  Tracy  to 
Boscawen." 

Dea.  Nehemiah  Cogswell,  Capt.  Samuel  Chadwick,  and  David 
Ambrose  were  appointed  a  committee  to  report  at  the  next  meet- 
ing in  regard  to  the  alteration  of  the  meeting-house. 

1839.  A  committee  was  appointed  "  to  call  upon  those  pew- 
holders  who  have  not  signed  to  give  up  their  pews,  and  ascertain 
if  they  are  willing  to  unite  in  building  a  new  house."  Jacob  Ger- 
rish,  Jeremiah  Morrill,  and  John  Cogswell  were  appointed  on  the 
committee. 

Voted,  "  to  pay  for  the  use  of  the  double  bass-viol." 

DK.    wood's    legacy. 

A  legacy  was  left  the  society  by  Rev.  Dr.  Wood,  consisting  of 
his  farm  and  buildings,  which  were  sold  to  Moody  A.  KilburU; 
upon  the  decease  of  Mr.  Wood,  for  $1,900. 


ISiO.]  ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY. 


REMODELLING    THE    MEETING-HOUSE. 


233 


The  society  voted  to  remodel  the  meeting-house,  and  that  "the 
sills  of  the  new  house  shall  be  one  foot  higher  than  the  present 
one,  and  that  the  floor  shall  be  horizontal,  and  tliat  the  house,  in- 
side, shall  be  like  Franklin,  excepting  the  pulpit,  and  the  gallery 
for  singers  shall  be  circular." 

The  plan  subsequently  adopted  was  a  modification  of  the  one 
thus  accepted.  At  a  meeting  held  April  29,  Worcester  Webster 
■was  appointed  a  committee  to  procure  a  new  bell.  Mr.  Benjamin 
Morrill  was  authorized  ''  to  raise  monej^  to  procure  an  organ,  if  he 
can." 

1840.  The  society  voted  to  invest  the  151,900,  received  from 
Dr.  Wood's  legacy,  in  the  "  Upper  Intervale,"  so-called. 

For  a  period  of  forty  years  the  town  had  used  the  east  meeting- 
house every  other  year,  for  which  the  society  had  received  no  re- 
muneration, but  much  damage  by  injury  done  to  the  pews.  Hav- 
ing remodelled  the  house,  and  furnished  it  with  ciishions  and  car- 
pets, the  society  did  not  feel  called  upon  to  open  its  doors  to  the 
town  for  its  annual  meetings.  The  town,  for  two  years,  used  the 
academy,  and  two  years  in  succession  the  March  meetings  were 
held  at  the  west  end.  To  obtain  accommodations  for  the  town, 
the  society  consented  to  raise  the  meeting-house  four  feet,  and  to 
give  the  town  the  privilege  of  constructing  a  room  beneath,  which, 
when  not  used  by  the  town,  should  be  under  the  control  of  the 
society.  The  offer  was  accepted  by  the  town,  and  the  house 
raised  in  1848. 

In  1860,  a  number  of  the  public-spirited  citizens  of  Boscawen 
finished  the  basement,  giving  it  the  name  of  "  Merrimack  Hall." 

THE    FIRST    CHURCH. 

The  first  church,  organized  Oct.  8,  1740,  was  established  on  the 
"Cambridge  Platform."  At  that  time  Unitarianism,  as  a  distinct 
denomination,  had  not  made  its  appearance.  There  were,  how- 
ever, opposing  forces  in  theology.  The  conflict  was  between  the 
"Old  School "  and  the  "  New  Lights."  To  which  wing  Eev.  Mr. 
Stevens  belonged  is  wholly  a  matter  of  conjecture.  [S  -e  Biog. 
of  E-ev.  Mr.  Stevens.] 


234  ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY.  [1853. 

CHANGE    OF    POLITY. 

The  third  minister  of  the  Boscawen  church  was  Rev.  Nathaniel 
MerrilL — horn  in  Newhury,  and  a  graduate  of  Harvard  college. 
He  was  ordained  Oct.  19,  1768.  Under  Mr.  Merrill's  pastorate, 
the  church  joined  the  "Grafton  Presbytery."  The  change  was 
made  June  27,  1778,  under  the  following  vote  : 

"Fo/ef/,  To  adopt  tlie  Presbj'terian  form  of  cliurch  order  and  disci- 
pline, and  also  that  it  is  the  desire  of  the  church  to  join  in  tlie  Ilevd 
Grafton  Presbytery." 

The  union  of  tlie  church  with  the  Presbytery  was  publicly  de- 
clared by  Rev.  Eden  Burroughs,  a  committee  of  the  Presbytery. 

THE    GRAFTON    PRESBYTERY. 

This  ecclesiastical  body  was  composed  of  the  churches  in  Han- 
over Centre,  Bath,  Orford,  Hartford,  Vt.,  and  in  one  or  two  other 
towns  west  of  Connecticut  river.  It  was  formed  about  1770-1775. 
Mr.  Burroughs,  who  acted  for  the  Presbytery,  was  pastor  of  the 
churcli  at  Hanover  Centre.  The  records  of  tlie  organization  are 
supposed  to  have  been  consumed  in  the  burning  of  his  house  early 
in  the  present  century. 

MR.  Merrill's  influence. 

That  the  Boscawen  church  changed  its  polity  chiefly  through 
Mr.  Merrill's  influence,  cannot  be  doubted.  He  had  been  settled  at 
Hudson  as  early  as  1737.  Many  efforts  were  made  to  bring  about 
his  dismission  in  that  town  ;  but  a  pastor  settled  by  a  town  was  not 
easily  gotton  rid  of,  unless  by  mutual  consent.  He  uniformly  de- 
clined to  ask  a  dismission,  and  the  town  of  Hudson  finally  chose  a 
committee  to  "  settle  with  Mr.  Merrill  and  stand  suit."  [See  New 
Hampshire  Churches.]  Mr.  Merrill,  seeing  that  the  town  was  in 
earnest,  consented  to  a  dissolution  of  the  contract.  During  his 
pastorate  there,  the  Hudson  church  became  Presbyterian.  Re- 
ports of  some  irregularities  had  reached  Boscawen,  and  a  com- 
mittee was  sent  by  the  town  to  investigate  them,  but  no  evidence 
was  elicited  affecting  his  moral  or  ministerial  character.  His  con- 
nection with  the  Boscawen  church,  and  his  contract  with  the 
town,  tenminated  in  April,  1774,  after  a  pastorate  of  six  years.  It 
appears  from  the  records  that  he  was  absent  many  Sabbaths, 
which  created  much  dissatisfaction. 


1853. J  ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY. 


235 


RETUKX    TO    CONGREGATIONALISM. 

The  Boscawen  churcli  nominally  was  Presbyterian  till  1828, 
when  Dr.  John  Rogers  was  appointed  to  see  what  its  relations 
were  to  the  Presb3'tery.  He  could  find  no  such  organization,  and 
the  church  passed  a  vote  reiidopting  the  congregational  polity. 

Rev.  Samuel  Wood,  of  Salem,  graduate  of  Dartmouth,  class  of 
1779  [see  Biog.],  was  ordained  Oct.  17,  1781. 

In  1831,  Oct.  17,  Dr.  Wood  completed  a  half-century  of  minis- 
terial labor,  and  noticed  the  event  with  appropriate  services.  He 
stated  that  he  had  received  into  the  church,  by  2:)rofession,  480, — 
of  whom  100  had  severed  their  relation,  119  had  died,  30  had 
been  excommunicated,  leaving  a  church  at  that  time  of  238 
members. 

Soon  after  this  the  work  of  disintegration  began,  through 
emigration,  steadily  diminishing  the  number  of  members.  He 
remained  pastor  until  his  death,  1836.     [See  Biog.] 

In  December,  1832,  Rev.  Salmon  Bennet  was  installed  as  jun- 
ior pastor.  By  the  terms  of  settlement,  Mr.  Bennet  was  to  have  a 
salary  of  $300  and  one  fourth  part  of  the  time  for  service  else- 
where, which,  proving  inadequate  for  his  support,  resulted  in  his 
dismissal,  Oct.  25,  1836. 

SETTLEMENT    OF    REV.    C.    B.    TRACY. 

The  death  of  Jiev.  Dr.  Wood  occurring  soon  after,  the  church 
and  society  extended  a  unanimous  call  to  Rev.  Caleb  B.  Tracy,  a 
graduate  of  Williams  college,  and  of  Andover  Theological  Sem- 
inary. He  was  installed  Sept.  12,  1837.  Large  additions  were 
made  to  the  church  in  1842-3. 

The  organization  of  the  church  in  Fisherville  resulted,  however, 
in  the  transfer,  about  this  time,  of  thirteen  members  to  that  body. 

Mr.  Tracy  remained  pastor  till  1851,  when  he  was  dismissed  by 
mutual  consent. 

During  the  year  1852,  the  church  w'as  under  the  charge  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Slocum. 

REV.    AMBROSE    SMITH. 

In  1853,  June  15,  Rev.  Ambrose  Smith,  graduate  of  Dart- 
mouth college,  was  installed  pastor,  remaining  till  his  death.  [See 
Biog.] 


236  ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY.  [1853. 

KEV.   M.   L.    SEVERANCE. 

In  September,  1863,  Rev.  M.  L.  Severance,  of  Midcllebury,  Vt., 
graduate  of  Middlebury  college,  student  of  theology  in  Union  and 
Andover  seminaries,  accepted  an  invitation  to  the  ministr}',  and 
was  installed  pastor  Feb.  17,  1864.  He  was  dismissed  by  mutual 
council,  June  1,  1869. 

While  pastor  of  the  church,  fort3'-three  members  were  received 
— thirty-eight  of  them  on  profession  of  their  faith — thirty  bap- 
tisms administered,  thirty-three  marriages  and  sixty-eight  funer- 
als attended. 

Rev.  Frank  Haley,  Rev.  Corbin  Curtice,  and  Rev.  Ambrose 
Smith  weije  employed  as  preachers  after  the  dismissal  of  Rev. 
Mr.  Severance,  but  were  not  settled  as  pastors. 

Rev.  J.  A.  Freeman  was  installed  June  30,  1875,  and  dismissed 
July  3,  1877.     The  church  at  present  is  without  a  pastor. 

THE    WESTERLY    RELIGIOUS    SOCIETY. 

This  society  was  formed  in  the  spi'ing  of  1804,  by  citizens 
living  in  the  centre  and  at  the  west  end  of  the  town, — many  of 
those  residing  on  Water  street,  for  some  cause,  preferring  to  iden- 
tify themselves  with  this  society  rather  than  with  the  Boscawen 
Religious  Society.  The  number  thus  uniting  was  about  70.  A 
church — the  2d  Congregational — was  formed,  and  Rev.  Ebenezer 
Price  settled  as  pastor  the  same  year. 

The  society  was  incorporated  in  1810,  and  its  members  attended 
public  worship  in  the  West  meeting-house  till  the  erection  of  the 
house  on  Corser  hill,  1823.  The  causes  that  led  to  the  construc- 
tion of  the  house  are  narrated  in  connection  with  the  Christian 
Union  Society  below. 

At  a  meeting  held  May  19,  1823,  a  building  committee  was 
chosen,  and  $500  raised  towards  procuring  the  frame  of  a  new 
meeting-house,  to  be  located  on  Corser  hill,  on  land  purchased 
from  Rev.  Ebenezer  Price. 

The  committee  consisted  of  Dea.  Enoch  Little,  Capt.  John 
Farmer,  Capt.  Joseph  Ames,  Benj.  T.  Kimball,  Capt.  J.  C. 
Plummer,  Capt.  Abraham  Burbank,  Geo.  T.  Pillsbury,  Samuel 
Pillsbury,  Thomas  Coffin,  Rice  Corser,  John  Danforth. 

A  committee  was  appointed  to  superintend  the  building  of  the 


Congregational  Meeting-House,  Webster. 


1853.]  ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY,  237 

house,  consisting  of  James   Kilbuvn,  Geo.  T.   Pillsbury,  Geo.  T. 
Kilburn,  Daniel  Pillsbuiy. 

The  committee  was  instructed  to  employ  those  who  would  be 
likely  to  purchase  pews  ;  to  obtain  as  much  money  as  they  could 
by  subscription ;  to  hire  money,  if  necessary ;  to  sell  the  pews  at 
auction  ;  reserving  the  exclusive  jurisdiction  of  the  house  to  the 
Westerly  Eeligious  Society  forever,  ''it  being  understood  that  the 
house  shall  never  be  opened  to  preachers  of  any  denomination 
or  persuasion  whatever,  differing  in  religious  principles  from  the 
society  and  church  now  about  to  build  the  house,  unless  invited 
by  the  officiating  minister  or  assessors  of  the  society." 

At  a  meeting  held  Nov.  10,  Simeon  B.  Little  was  added  to  the 
directing  committee. 

A  committee  on  dedication  was  appointed,  consisting  of  Capt. 
J.  C.  Plummer,  Col.  John  Parmer,  Pice  Corser. 

Jeremiah  Gerrish  was  appointed  a  committee  to  invite  the 
Martin  Luther  Musical  Society  "  to  do  the  singing  at  the  dedica- 
tion." He  was  also  empowered  to  provide  a  supper  for  the  soci- 
ety.    Mr.  Henry  Little  was  commissioned  to  trim  the  pulpit. 

The  house  was  constructed  with  great  dispatch.  None  of  the 
timber  for  the  frame  was  cut  till  the  last  week  in  May,  while  the 
frame  was  raised  on  the  3d  and  4th  of  July.  The  master  carpen- 
ter was  George  T.  Pillsbury.  The  joiner-work  was  done  by  Will- 
iam Abbot ;  the  plastering,  by  Moses  Fellows  ;  the  underpinninf^, 
by  Ezekiel  Evans,  of  Warner,— at  a  cost  of  $97.86.  The  door-steps 
were  furnished  by  Benj.  E.  Quimbj^,  of  Warner,  for  $40.67. 

The  house  was  dedicated  Dec.  25,  a  large  number  of  people 
being  present  from  adjoining  towns. 

ITEMS    FROM    THE    RECORDS. 
''BOARD   OF    MANAGERS    IN    ACCOUNT   WITH    H.    &   M.  FELLOWS. 

1823. 

June  20,  By  Rum  ^q  ^ 

July  2,         "  0  58 

3d  54  lbs  sugar  at  Is  9  qq 

209  lemons  at  3s  a  doz  8.71 

7f  galls  WI  Rum  8  62 

4f     "     NERum  2  37 

mug  &  tumblers  q'ij 

July  9,  1  gall  rum  0.46" 


238  ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY.  [1853. 

The  vane  upon  the  spire  was  made  b}^  Joseph  C.  Morse,  which, 
with  the  liglitning-rod,  cost  $5.50.  The  sashes  were  made  by 
Daniel  Pillsbury,  959  square  lights,  costing  $43.15 ;  the  circular 
sashes,  $18. 

The  pews  were  appraised  and  sold  at  auction.  The  highest 
price  paid  was  by  Moses  Gerrish,  $110.  The  next  in  value  was 
that  purchased  by  Thomas  Coffin,  $109.  The  lowest  price  paid 
for  a  pew  was  $5,  in  the  gallery. 

The  society  had  assessed  a  tax  of  $500  upon  its  members,  but 
the  sale  of  the  pews  having  been  sufficient  to  build  the  house,  it 
was  voted,  at  the  annual  meeting,  Mar.  1st,  1824,  to  abate  the 
whole  amount. 

The  society  voted  at  this  meeting  that  the  committee  "  get  a 
stove  to  i>ut  in,  if,  after  adjusting  all  the  bills,  they  have  money 
sufficient  for  that  purpose." 

It  is  probable  that  the  fimds  ran  short,  for  no  stove  was  pur- 
chased till  1832,  and  then  under  protest,  some  members  of  the 
society  objecting.  To  accommodate  those  who  were  prejudiced 
against  stoves,  the  society,  in  1833,  voted  "  to  dispense  with  fire 
in  the  stove  the  first  Sabbath  in  each  month  through  the  cold 
season." 

The  one  or  two  individuals  in  whose  favor  this  vote  was  passed 
imagined  that  they  could  not  lireathe  air  heated  by  a  stove  ;  and 
the  congregation,  wrapping  themselves  in  overcoats  and  shawls, 
by  means  of  foot-stoves,  and  a  vigorous  thumping  of  their  heels 
and  toes  througli  the  long-drawn  sermon,  did  their  best  to  keep 
from  freezing. 

The  pulpit  was  constructed  after  the  architecture  of  former 
days,  but  was  remodelled  in  1844.  The  house  has  been  several 
times  repainted,  and  was  reshingled  in  1855. 

A  deep-toned  bell  was  purchased  in  1823,  but  which  was  un- 
fortunately cracked  in  1839.  It  could  be  heard  at  a  greater  dis- 
tance than  any  church  bell  in  the  surrounding  towns.  The  first 
bell-ringer  was  Daniel  Corser.  The  present  bell  was  obtained  in 
1839. 

SECOND    COXGREGATIONAL    CHURCH. 

The  Second  Congregational  Churcli  was  formed  Sept.  26th, 
1804.     Letters  missive,  by  those  desiring  to   be  organized  as  a 


Congregational   Meeting-House,   Fisherville. 


I860.]  ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY. 


239 


church,  were  sent  to  neighboring  churches,  and  the  council  on 
that  day  assembled  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  Paul  Dodge,  in  the 
house  now  occupied  by  Henry  Dodge.  The  churches  represented 
were, — Dunbarton,  Rev.  Walter  Harris ;  Hopkinton,  Rev.  Mr. 
Smith  ;  Salisbury,  Rev.  Thomas  Worcester ;  Tamworth,  Rev.  Mr. 
Hidden ;  Honniker,  Rev.  Moses  Sawyer ;  Canterbury,  Rev.  Wm. 
Patrick ;  Boscawen,  First  Church,  Rev.  Samuel  Wood. 

The  public  exercises  were   held  in   the  meeting-house  in  the 
afternoon.     The  exercises  were, — an  introductory  prayer  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Hidden ;  sermon.  Rev.  Mr.   Harris  ;  charge,  Rev.  Mr.  AVood 
right  hand  of  fellowship,  Rev.  Mr.  Worcester;  concluding  prayer, 
Rev.  Mr.  Sawyer. 

Rev.  Ebenezer  Price  [see  Biog.]  was  employed  as  preacher, 
and  a  call  extended  to  him  to  become  pastor  of  the  church  and 
society.     The  installation  occurred  Sept.  26,  1804. 

In  1805,  Benjamin  Sweat  and  Eliphalet  Kilburn  were  elected 
deacons. 

In  1806,  the  church  voted  to  purchase  a  full  set  of  sacramental 
cups  and  flagons  of  the  church  in  Hopkinton,  and  $8  Avas  con- 
tributed for  the  purpose. 

April  liod,  1807,  Fast  day,  a  contribution  was  made  for  mis- 
sionary purposes, — the  first  on  record,  and  doubtless  the  first  in 
the  history  of  the  church, — amounting  to  $14.25. 

In  1811,  Enoch  Little  was  elected  deacon,  in  place  of  Benjamin 
Sweat,  deceased. 

1818.  Sept.  20th.  The  church  voted  to  accept  of  a  i;)ewter 
platter  for  church  use  fi'om  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Fellows. 

Rev.  Mr.  Price  remained  pastor  of  the  church  till  1837,  when 
he  was  dismissed  at  his  own  request.  The  church  and  society  pre- 
sented him  with  a  gratuity  of  $865.  His  pastorate  closed  May 
10th.     [See  Biog.] 

In  December,  the  same  year.  Rev.  Edward  Buxton  was  installed 
as  pastor,  witli  an  annual  salary  of  |!450.  His  connection  as 
pastor  of  the  church  continued  till  1875,  when,  at  the  age  of  72,  he 
resigned  his  charge,  but,  after  a  respite  of  a  few  months,  resumed 
his  place  in  the  pulpit  as  minister,  which  he  still  retains. 

Few  churches  can  show  such  a  record, — two  pastorates  extend- 
ing from  1804  to  1875, — a  period  of  seventy-one  years. 

Since  the  organization  of  this  church  in  1804,  four  hundred 


240  ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY.  [1860. 

liave  been  added  to  the  membership, — one  hundred  and  sixty 
males  and  two  liundred  and  forty  females.  Of  tliese^  fiftj-eight 
have  joined  by  letter.  One  hundred  and  ninety  have  been  dis- 
missed to  other  churches,  thus  showing  the  emigration  from  the 
parish.  One  hundred  and  ninety  have  been  removed  by  death, 
and  fourteen  excluded  from  membersliip, — one  of  the  number  hav- 
ing been  reinstated.  The  jiresent  membership  numbers  eighty- 
two  residents, — thirty-two  males,  fifty  females, — with  thirty  non- 
resident members. 

During  the  pastorates  of  Revs.  Mr.  Price  and  Buxton,  four 
hundred  and  eighty-six  children  have  been  baptized,  while,  of 
those  uniting  with  the  church,  one  hundred  and  one  have  accepted 
the  ordinance  of  baptism. 

Dec.  21,  1868,  the  church  voted  to  change  its  name  from  the 
Second  Congregational  Church  in  Boscawen,  to  the  First  Congre- 
gational Church  in  Webster. 

THE    CHRISTIAN    UNION    SOCIETY. 

The  legislature  of  1819  passed  a  general  law  in  regard  to  the 
organization  of  religious  societies,  and  under  that  law  the  Chris- 
tian Union  Society  of  Boscawen  was  formed,  Aug.  16,  1820,  at 
the  house  of  Hezekiah  Fellows.  John  Elliot,  Jr.,  was  chosen 
chairman,  and  Joseph  Couch,  secretary. 

The  motives  for  the  organization  are  set  forth  in  the  preamble 
to  the  constitution. 

"Whereas  Religion  and  morality  grounded  on  Evangelical  principlea 
lays  the  firmest  foundation  for  happiness  here  and  hereafter  and  in  or- 
der to  inculcate  and  support  this  grand  principle  it  becomes  necessary 
that  men  associate  together  and  form  themselves  into  societies  for  the 
mutual  support  and  happiness  of eacli  other;  and  such  is  the  lot  of  human 
nature  in  this  Imperfect  state  that  it  becomes  Necessary  for  every  society 
to  form  and  adopt  certain  rules  of  government  for  the  mutual  happi- 
ness of  the  whole  :  Therefore  with  these  views  and  Impressions  We  the 
subscribers  agree  to  form  ourselves  into  a  society  under  the  above  pre- 
amble." 

Fifty  persons  joined  the  society  thus  formed. 

At  a  meeting  held  at  the  West  meeting-house,  March  26th, 
1821,  Voted,  "  To  pursue  some  Legal  course  until  they  obtain 
their  privilege  in  the  West  meeting-house,  and  also  their  equal 
share  of  the  parsonage  Money." 


1840.]  ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY.  241 

The  town  had  erected  the  frame  of  the  meeting-house  in  1702 ; 
had  sokl  the  pews,  thus  raising  money  for  finishing  the  house. 
The  pews  were  held  mainly  bj'  those  who  belonged  to  the  West- 
erly Religious  Society  and  the  Second  Congregational  Church 
[see  p.  189],  but  those  who  had  joined  the  Christian  Union  Soci- 
et}^  believed  that  they  were  entitled  to  share  in  the  use  of  the 
house.  The  members  of  the  Christian  Union  Society,  who  were 
pew-owners,  believed  that  theirs  was  an  equitable  and  valid 
claim,  while  those  who  were  not  pew-owners,  but  who  were  citi- 
zens, believed  that  their  claim  was  equally  valid  by  virtue  of  their 
citizenship,  and  the  town's  proprietary  right  in  the  frame. 

Negotiations  were  had  between  the  two  societies,  and  it  was 
agreed  by  the  committees  that  the  Christian  Union  Society  should 
have  the  use  of  the  house  six  Sundays  in  the  year.  TJie  agree- 
ment, however,  was  not,  for  some  cause,  ratified  by  either  society. 
The  Westerly  Religious  Society  offered  to  sell  their  share  of  the 
house  at  40  per  cent,  of  the  valuation,  amounting  to  $352.27.  Tlie 
offer  was  accepted,  but  there  was  a  disagreement  in  regard  to  the 
note  which  the  Christian  Union  Society  proposed  to  give  for  the 
amount,  and  no  transfer  of  the  property  was  effected. 

The  difference  of  opinion  in  regard  to  jurisdiction  was  carried 
into  the  courts.  The  decision  of  the  Superior  Court  was,  that  the 
town  could  not  exercise  sole  jurisdiction  over  a  town  meeting- 
house, when  different  societies  or  individuals  owned  pews  therein. 

Pending  this  decision,  however,  the  Christian  Union  Society 
resolved  to  occupy  the  meeting-house,  which  was  done  June  loth 
and  IGth,  in  connection  with  a  session  of  the  Christian  General 
Conference.  There  was  a  large  concourse  of  peojile  from  neigh- 
boring towns,  and  several  elders  of  repute,  as  preachers  in  the  de- 
nomination, were  in  attendance. 

The  Christian  Union  Society  took  possession  of  the  meeting- 
house at  an  early  hour  on  Sunday  morning,  and  Elder  Peter 
Young  was  occupying  the  pulpit,  wlien  Rev.  Mr.  Price  entered  the 
house  at  the  usual  hour  for  public  service.  The  assessors  of  the 
Westerly  Religious  Society  made  a  formal  demand  for  the  house. 
There  was  some  confusion,  but  no  breach  of  the  pultlic  2:)eace. 
The  time  had  gone  by  for  a  compromise  between  the  two  societies, 
and  the  Westerly  Religious  Society  resolved  to  erect  a  meeting- 

16 


242  ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY.  [1850. 

house  for  themselves,  thus  leaving  the  Union  Society  in  undis- 
turbed and  peaceable  possession  of  the  old  house. 

As  in  most  religious  controversies,  prejudices  were  engendered, 
which  died  oixt  only  when  those  who  were  participants  in  the 
events  of  the  time  passed  away.  But  time  has  worn  down  the 
sharp  antagonism  of  other  days,  and  religious  bodies,  which  were 
antipodal  in  faith  and  practice  at  the  beginning  of  the  century, 
now  attend  the  same  meeting,  listen  to  the  same  preacher,  and  sit 
at  the  same  communion. 

In  1844,  the  Christian  Union  Society  voted  to  remodel  the 
meeting-house, — flooring  over  the  galleries,  removing  the  east  and 
west  porches,  and  making  a  convenient  chapel  of  the  upper  story, 
the  lower  floor  being  reserved  for  a  town-house.  All  of  the  slips, 
— fifty-two  in  number, — with  the  exception  of  two,  were  sold. 

The  society  took  on  a  new  lease  of  life,  and  was  vigorous  and 
flourishing  for  several  years ;  but  emigration  thinned  its  member- 
ship, and  since  1869  no  regular  service  has  been  held  by  the  de- 
nomination. 

THE    CHRISTIAN    BAPTIST    CHUKCH. 

This  church  was  formed  in  1808,  consisting  of  five  male  and 
seven  female  members.  It  was  organized  June  16th  under  the 
following  compact : 

"  This  Church  have  agreed  to  lay  aside  all  the  party  names  by  which 
professors  are  called,  with  all  such  things  as  are  called  Creeds,  Cove- 
nants, Platforms,  Articles  of  faith,  with  all  the  Commandments  of  men, 
and  to  consider  Christ  their  only  Master,  and  the  New  Testament  their 
only  Rule,  and  to  be  known  by  the  name  given  at  Antioch  which  is 
Christian. 

"The  following  are  the  names  of  the  Brethren  and  sisters  who  were 
Baptised  June  16th  and  being  united  in  love,  united  in  the  above  agree- 
ment and  who  stand  ready  to  receive  into  their  Company  all  who  are 
willing  to  unite  with  them  in  the  glorious  name  of  Christ: 
David  Sweatt,  Martha  Corser, 

James  Corser,  Meela  Couch, 

Peltiah  Gookin,  Martha  Gookin, 

John  P.  Sweatt,  Betsey  Hobbs, 

Joseph  Couch,  jr.,  Hannah  Hobbs, 

Mrs.  Trumbull,  Mrs.  Corser. 

"At  the  close  of  the  year  1808  the  church  numbered  twenty-five 
members." 


1850.]  ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY.  243 

It  has  not  been  possible  to  obtain   the  names  of  all  those  who 

have  held  the  office  of  elder.  The  list  embraces  the  names  of 

Peter  Young,  Wm.  Blaisdell, 

David  Harriman,  Setli  Ross, 

Kimball,  Moses  Scribner, 

Neheniiah  Sleeper,  Moses  P.  Favor, 

John  Tilton,  Wm.  S.  Morrill, 

Moses  Polly,  Simeon  Roby. 

CONGREGATIONAL    CHURCH,    FISHERVILLE. 

The  Congregational  Church  in  Fisherville  was  organized  Nov, 
G,  1850.  Eev.  Mr.  Knight  and  other  ministers  were  employed  as 
j)reachers  till  1857,  when  Rev.  Albert  Wm.  Fiske  was  installed 
pastor  May  20,  and  remained  in  that  relation  till  Oct.  16,  1863. 

The  second  pastor,  Rev.  Wm.  R.  Jewett,  was  installed  Sept.  16, 
18G.3,  and  dismissed  Sept.  10,  1874. 

The  third  pastor.  Rev.  Marvin  D.  Bisbee,  was  installed  Sept.  10; 
1874,  dismissed  April  10,  1877. 

BAPTIST    CHURCH. 

In  1840  several  individuals,  who  held  to  the  tenets  of  the  Bap- 
tist denomination,  started  a  series  of  religious  meetings  in  the 
various  school  districts.  Rev.  Mr.  Peacock,  a  revivalist  preacher 
of  repute,  was  employed  as  preacher.  The  result  of  the  move- 
ment was  an  awakening  on  the  subject  of  religion,  resulting  in 
the  formation  of  a  church  and  societj',  and  the  erection  of  a  church 
edifice  (see  p.  206).  No  statistics  have  been  preserved  in  regard 
to  the  numbers  uniting  with  the  church,  which,  after  a  brief  ex- 
istence, was  merged  into  the  stronger  church  of  the  denomination 
in  Fisherville. 

METHODIST    CHURCH. 

In  1839,  some  of  the  residents  of  the  west  section  of  the  town, 
who  had  adopted  the  religious  tenets  of  the  Methodist  denomina- 
tion, formed  a  society,  and  erected  the  present  meeting-house  in 
Webster.  Individuals  not  members  of  the  society  aided  to  some 
extent ;  and,  at  the  dedication  of  the  edifice,  Rev.  Mr.  Price  and 
Rev.  Mr.  Buxton  took  part  in  the  exercises,  thus  manifesting 
their  good  will  towards  the  enterprise. 

At  that  time  there  was  a  Methodist  theological  school  at  Con- 


244  ECCLESIASTICAL    HISTORY.  [18G0. 

cord  ill  the  old  North  Church,  and  the  students  of  the  school 
were  relied  upon  to  supply  the  pulpit.  The  church  membership 
increased;  but  the  same  causes  that  diminished  the  membership  of 
the  other  churches  operated  to  weaken  this,  Avhich,  together  with 
the  removal  of  the  Theological  Institute  from  Concord,  made  it 
impossible  to  sustain  regular  ministerial  service.  Only  at  inter- 
vals since  1860  has  there  been  preaching. 

SUNDAY-SCHOOLS. 

In  1816  the  first  sunday-schools  were  established  in  Boscawen. 
They  were  held  in  the  various  school  districts  during  the  summer 
months, — in  the  school-house,  or  at  private  residences.  The  chil- 
dren recited  verses  from  the  Bible,  standing  in  a  class  with  their 
toes  to  a  crack,  and  making  their  "  manners  "  as  in  the  week-day 
school. 

The  ^Hipils  were  those  under  fourteen  years  of  age.  An  effort 
was  made  to  secure  a  general  attendance,  but  the  community  did 
not  readily  accept  the  idea.  Some  excellent  Christian  people  were 
opposed  to  having  a  school  taught  on  Sunday.  If  not  a  desecra- 
tion of  the  day,  it  was  a  departure  from  the  old  ways. 

The  number  of  scholars  in  1824  in  connection  with  the  schools 
at  the  west  end  was  ninety-seven,  who  recited  29,957  verses  during 
the  six  months  ending  October  24th.  ISTo  schools  were  held  in  the 
winter.  It  is  narrated,  that  one  scholar  of  retentive  memory  tired 
out  the  patience  of  his  teacher,  reciting  chapter  after  chapter,  and 
was  told  that  he  might  finish  the  recitation  on  the  next  Sunday. 

The  first  librarj'  at  the  west  end  was  purchased  by  Enoch  Lit- 
tle, Jr.,  costing  ^10.  The  books  were  passed  from  district  to  dis- 
trict, and  were  soon  worn  out  by  constant  handling. 

The  report  for  1827  gives  5  superintendents,  159  scholars,  22 
Sabbath  exercises,  30,117  verses  recited  in  the  schools  at  the  west 
end.  Kev.  Mr.  Price  had  a  Bible-class  of  73  members.  Schools 
were  also  taught  in  the  districts  at  the  east  end  of  the  town. 

In  1831  the  district  system  was  given  up,  and  the  schools  or- 
ganized into  one,  the  sessions  being  held  as  now  on  Sunday  noon 
in  the  meeting-house,  the  "  Union  Questions  "  taking  the  place  of 
recitations  from  the  Bible. 

No  statistics  have  have  been  preserved  in  relation  to  the  school 
connected  with  the  church  on  the  Plain. 


Methodist  Meeting  House,  Webster. 


[1746. 


MILITARY    HISTORY 


^  HE  military  liistory  of  Boscawen  and  Webster  begins  witli 
^^r  tlie  first  "  French  and  Indian  war,"  in  1744,  and  is  brouglit 
down  to  the  close  of  the  Rebellion,  1865, — a  period  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty-one  years.  The  military  record  is  one  of  which  every 
citizen,  and  every  descendant  of  citizens,  may  justly  be  proud. 

In  1744,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  French  war,  Richard  Flood 
served  the  Provincial  government  in  some  capacity,  in  the  expedi- 
tion to  Canada.  It  is  not  known  tliat  he  went  as  a  soldier.  The 
only  record  of  his  service  is  a  notice  of  his  petition  for  aid  fi'om 
the  government,  in  the  records  of  the  Provincial  committee,  for 
service  rendered  in  the  expedition  to  Canada. 

The  same  year  Philip  Call  served  as  a  scout  in  Capt.  Jeremiah. 
Clough's  company,  from  Jan.  21  to  March  18,  receiving  £2  10s. 
Capt.  Clough  lived  in  Canterbury,  and  was  a  leading  citizen  of 
that  town. 

Captain  John  Clough  commanded  a  company  in  Penacook  at 
the  same  time,  of  which  Xathaniel  Rix  was  a  soldier. 

In  1746,  Captain  John  Goffe,  of  Bedford,  commanded  a  com- 
pany of  scouts,  in  which  Joseph  Eastman,  Jr.,  Dea.  Jesse  Flan- 
der.s,  his  brother,  John  Flanders,  Jr.,  and  Wm.  Corser  served  as 
privates  thirty-seven  days,  having  been  called  out  by  the  attacks 
of  the  Indians  on  Penacook  and  Contoocook,  killing  Thomas  Cook, 
and  capturing  Ciiesar,  Rev.  Mr.  Stevens's  negro. 

Later  in  the  season  Capt.  Ladd  arrived  [see  Civil  Hist.,  p.  43] 
with  a  company,  in  which  Philip  Flanders,  Joseph  Eastman,  and 


246  MILITARY    HISTORY.  [1754. 

Jacob  Flanders  enlisted.  In  this  company  was  Robert  Rogers, 
afterwards  the  celebrated  ranger. 

At  the  same  time  Philip  Call  was  doing  duty  in  Capt.  Clongh's 
company,  being  out  one  hundred  and  lifty-four  days,  receiving 
£8  13s.  3p. 

In  1747,  Capt.  Clough  of  Canterbury  was  out  from  the  5th  of 
Januar}^  to  the  12th  of  November.  Philip  Call  and  John  Man- 
uel served  under  him,  receiving  £16  10s.  lOp.,  besides  provisions 
and  ammiinition.  Upon  the  return  of  this  company,  Capt.  Eben- 
ezer  Eastman,  of  Concord,  began  a  winter  campaign,  being  out 
with  his  company  from  iSTov.  14,  1747,  to  May  9th,  1748.  Rev. 
Phineas  Stevens  served  as  a  private.  In  all  probability  he 
preached  on  Sunday  to  the  soldiers  in  camp. 

In  1748,  Capt.  Goffe  was  scouting  the  frontier  with  a  company 
in  which  William  Corser  served  as  private.  At  the  same  time, 
Capt.  Moses  Fostei*,  of  Suncook,  was  ranging  the  frontier  with  a 
company,  of  which  Rev.  Mr.  Whittemore,  minister  of  Pembroke, 
was  lieutenant.  Ezekiel  Flanders,  killed  in  1756  at  Newfound 
lake  by  the  Indians,  served  in  this  company  one  month,  from 
June  6  to  July  7  [See  Civil  Hist.] 

Peace  having  been  made  between  England  and  France,  there 
was  no  further  need  of  military  service  till  1754,  when  the  Indians 
again  began  their  depredations,  killing  William  Stinson,  and 
taking  John  Stark  and  Eastman  prisoners  on  Baker's  river,  cap- 
turing the  Meloon  family  of  Salisbury,  and  killing  Mrs.  Philip 
Call  and  Timothy  Cook,  in  Stevenstown.     [See  Civil  Hist.] 

Military  service  was  no  longer  confined  to  the  Merrimack  val- 
ley ; — the  theatre  of  war  was  transferred  to  the  upper  Hudson 
and  the  lakes.  Col.  Blanchard  commanded  a  regiment,  in  which 
Benjamin  [Eastman,  of  Boscawen,  enlisted  under  Capt.  John 
Goffe,  serving  from  April  24th  to  Oct.  23d. 

One  company  was  commanded  by  Capt.  Thomas  Tash,  of  Dur- 
ham, in  which  John  Corser  enlisted.  Capt.  Joseph  Eastman 
commanded  another  company,  in  which  Winthrop  Carter,  Moses 
Manuel,  Samiiel  Manuel,  Joseph  Eastman,  Andrew  Bohonnon, 
AVilliam  Jackman,  and  John  Fowler  served. 

Another  regiment  was  commanded  by  Col.  Nathaniel  Folsom. 
Upon  the  muster-roll  is  the  name  of  Nathaniel  jNIeloon,  son  of  the 
first  settler  of  that  name  in  Contoocook. 


1775.]  MILITARY    HISTORY.  247 

111  the  Crown  Point  expedition,  Jolm  Fowler,  Joel  Manuel,  and 
Joseph  Eastman  served,  under  Captain  John  Goffe. 

In  1758,  Daniel  Shepherd  and  Philip  Flanders  served  in  Capt. 
Ladd's  company,  Col.  Hart's  regiment,  sent  to  Crown  Point. 
Nathaniel  Meloon  served  in  Capt.  Todd's  company. 

In  Eev,  Mr.  Price's  history,  it  is  stated  that  Philip  Flanders 
was  killed  at  Crown  Point  in  1756,  which  is  manifestly  an  error, 
his  name  apjiearing  on  the  muster-roll  from  April  21  to  November 
1,  1758,  on  which  day  he  probably  was  killed. 

FROM  1760  TO  1775. 

There  is  no  record  to  show  the  military  organization  in  the 
town  from  the  close  of  the  French  war  in  1760  to  the  beginning 
of  the  Revolution  in  1775.  The  law  required  all  able-bodied  men, 
between  sixteen  and  sixty,  to  be  enrolled  in  the  train  bands.  A 
town  containing  thirty-two  men  liable  to  do  militaiy  duty  could 
have  a  military  organization  of  its  own.  There  being  more  than 
that  number  of  soldiers  in  the  town,  it  had  a  "train  band.'' 

The  news  of  the  battle  of  Lexington  reached  Boscawen  on  the 
20th  of  April,  and  the  next  morning  Capt.  Henry  Gerrish  and 
his  soldiers  were  on  the  march. 

DIARY    OF    CAPT.   HEXRY'^    GERRISH. 

"  Fryday  21  April  1775. 
"  Set  out  for  Cambridge  with  Lieut  Call,  Sargent  Carter.  Esq 
Fowler,  Edmund  Chadwick,  John  Flanders,  John  Stevens,  Natlianiel 
Barbank,  Samuel  Jackman,  David  Flanders,  Charles  Greenfield,  Peter 
Roswell  Stevens,  Israel  Shepard,  Isaac  Davis,  Edward  Gerald,  & 
arrived  at  Cambridge  on  Sunday  &  all  tarried  till  Tuesday  &  then  Esq 
Fowler  set  out  for  home,  on  Wensday  Lieut  Call,  Winthrop  Carter  & 
Nathaniel  Atkinson  set  out  for  home  [Nathaniel  Atkinson  and  prob- 
ably other  soldiers  had  joined  the  company  between  Friday  and 
Wednesday]  &  there  joined  our  company  on  Wensday  morning  Will- 
iam Forrest,  Timothy  Foss,  Jeremiah  Gibson,  Aaron  Sargeant,  John 
Been,  John  Rains,  Abraham  Fyfield,  Joseph  Loverin,  Moses  Welsh." 

These  last  were  f)robably  citizens  of  Salisbury. 

Some  of  the  Boscawen  soldiers,  in  common  with  those  of  other 
towns,  soon  returned  home,  while  others  hastened  to  Cambridge 
to    fill    their  places.     Those    from    Boscawen   enlisted    in    Capt. 


248  MILITARY    HISTORY.  [1775. 

Josluia  Alibot's  compan}^,  Col.  Stark's  regiment.  Capt.  ALbot 
was  a  citizen  of  Concord,  well  known  to  the  Boscawen  men.  He 
had  served  in  the  French  war,  and  was  a  brave  and  gallant  officer. 
Samuel  Atkinson  [see  Biography]  was  elected  lieutenant,  and 
Samuel  Corser  and  Nathan  Davis  corporals.  They  had  all  confi- 
dence in  their  colonel,  John  Stark,  who  had  seen  hard  service  in 
the  last  war  against  the  French  and  Indians. 

The  term  of  enlistment  was  for  eight  months,  beginning 
April  23d.  Tlie  regiment  was  quartered  at  Medford.  On  the 
morning  of  June  17th,  Col.  Stark  received  a  despatch  from  Gen. 
Ward,  ordering  him  to  send  a  battalion  to  the  relief  of  Col.  Pres- 
cott,  who  was  throwing  np  the  earthworks  on  Bunker  hill,  and 
Lieut.  Col.  Wyman  was  despatched  with  about  200  men, — prob- 
ably three  companies  of  sixty-six  men  each.  The  detachment  left 
Medford  between  nine  and  ten  o'clock.  At  noon,  another  message 
came,  ordering  the  remainder  of  the  regiment  to  march.  It  was 
between  twelve  and  one  when  Col.  Stark  started,  and  past  two 
when  he  reached  the  rail  fence  by  the  Mystic  river,  on  the  eastern 
slope  of  Bunker  hill,  a  position  chosen  In^  himself.  His  practised 
eye  and  knowledge  of  military  tactics  saw  that  the  movement  of 
the  British  commander  wonld  be  to  gain  the  rear  of  the  redoubt 
by  marching  along  the  Mystic. 

Col.  Reed's  regiment,  from  the  south-western  part  of  the  state, 
had  arrived  in  camp  three  days  before.  The  popularity  of  Stark  had 
given  him  twelve  companies,  but  two  of  them  had  been  transferred 
to  Eeed.  Both  regiments  were  full,  or  nearly  so,  together  number- 
ing about  one  thousand.  In  addition,  a  company  from  Hollis 
was  serving  in  Prescott's  Massachusetts  regiment  [see  Hist. 
Hollis].  Other  citizens  of  Kew  Hampshire  were  in  Massachu- 
set  s'  service,  making  the  total  number  from  this  state  nearly 
elev.  n  hundred. 

The  advance  of  the  British  was  against  the  rail  fence.  We 
may  think  of  the  citizens  of  Boscawen  as  stationed  a  few  rods 
from  the  Mystic,  behind  the  barricade  of  hay  which  they  have 
laid  against  the  fence.  Their  commander  orders  them  to  re- 
serve their  fire  till  the  enemy  are  within  eight  rods.  Then  there 
is  a  iiash,  a  rattle,  a  roar :  the  soldiers  of  the  king  go  down 
in  heaps.  Consternation  seizes  them,  and  they  flee  to  their  land- 
ing-place.    A  second  time  their  ranks  are  decimated.     The  third 


1775.]  MILITARY    HISTORY.  249 

attack  is  against  the  redoubt,  and,  witli  the  faikire  of  ammunition 
on  tlie  part  of  the  Americans,  the  British  gain  an  entrance. 
The  troops  at  the  fence  are  tlie  last  to  retreat.  Only  when  the 
day  is  lost  do  they  retire,  Joseph  Couch  and  another  soldier  bring- 
ing off  a  wounded  comrade. 

BOLL    OF    HOXOR    AT    BUNKER     HILL. 

Those  engaged  in  the   battle   of  Bunker  hill  from  Boscawen 


were : 


OP'FICERS. 


Atkinson,  Samuel,  Lieut.  Corser,  Samuel,  Corp. 

Call,  Moses,  "  Davis,  Nathan,       " 

PRIVATES. 

Burbank,  David  Davis,  Isaac 

Buibank,  Nathaniel  Danforth,  Joshua 

Burbaiik,  Moses,  jr.  Eliot,  John 

Bovvley,  John  Flanders,  John 

Chadwick,  Edmund  Flanders,  David 

Curser,  William  Flanders,  Jesse,  Dea. 
Corser,  Asa 

In   Capt.   Aaron   Kinsman's  company,  John  Manuel,  who  was 

killed ;  in  Capt. company,  Joseph  Couch,  who  Avas  wounded 

on  the  retreat  by  a  spent  cannon  ball. 

The  following  receipt  is  in  possession  of  Luke  Corser,  Esq.  : 

"Boscawen  May  24:  1775 
"  Recieved  of  David  Corser  of  Boscawen  a  Gun  marked  on  the 
Britch  W.  C.  B  which  (iun  I  have  Recieved  for  the  use  of  the  sobers 
Now  in  the  County  Sarvice  who  went  from  Boscawen  under  the  com- 
mand of  Capt  Abbot  in  order  to  Defend  the  country  against  the  Troops 
under  General  Gage  Now  at  Boston.     Recieved  by  me 

"  Samuel  Atkinson." 
'•  W.  C.  B  "  undoubtedly  means  William  Corser,  Boscawen.     He 
was  an  uncle  of  David  Corser,  who  gave  him  100  acres  of  land,  on 
Pleasant  street,  for  the  gun. 

EXPEDITION    TO    QUEBEC. 

In  September,  volunteers  were  called  for  to  join  Arnold's  expe- 
dition to  Quebec  up  the  Kennebec  river,  an  expedition  attended 


250.  MILITARY    HISTORY.  [1775. 

b}^  terrible  harcTsliips,  resulting  in  failure,  the  capture  of  nearly 
all  of  Arnold's  command,  and  the  death  of  Gen.  Montgomery. 

Dea.  Jesse  Flanders,  John  Flanders,  Jr.,  and  Nicholas  Davis 
enlisted  in  Capt.  Henry  Dearborn's  command,  and  were  captured 
in  the  attack  upon  Quebec.  They  were  kept  in  irons  a  short 
time,  liberated  on  parole  in  August,  1776,  and  reached  Kew  York 
by  sea  September  25. 

While  in  prison  John  Flanders  kept  a  diary,  which  has  been  in 
part  preserved.  It  contains  a  record  of  the  weather  from  the  first 
week  in  January,  1776,  to  April  25,  together  with  a  few  items  of 
interest,  mostly  written  in  cypher,  the  key  to  which  has  been  dis- 
covered. 

JOHX    FLAN^DERS'S    DIARY. 

"  Jeny  3d  1776 

Cloudy  &  snowy  in  the  morning  &  cleared  off  at  Night  we  had  1 
pint  of  water  1  pound  of  Boild  Kice  1  pound  of  Brown  Bread  |  pound 
Pork. 

Jenuy  4  It  snowed  in  the  Morning  blowy  all  Day  we  had  2  ounces  of 
Butter  9  ounces  pork  1  pound  of  l>rown  Bread 

Jan  5     we  have  very  good  allowance  salt  maccaril  with  Butter 

15  a  Violent  Coald  Snow  Storm 

16  fair  weather 

17  Snowed  all  Day  and  the  Night  Before 
IS     cloudy  &  Look  Likely  for  Snow  &  Cold 

19  Clondy  &  Somthing  Cold 

20  Snowed  a  littel  the  prisnors  made  to  ascape  &  two  was  put  in 
irons 

21  Somting  Modrit  But  cloudy  Last  night  six  of  the  sogers  made 
thair  acape  five  of  the  prisonrs  that  was  Listed  in  thair  Sarvies  one  that 
Belongd  to  tham  thay  offered  five  Soos  [souf']  to  any  Body  that  would 
Return  him. 

March  27  clear  and  cold 

28  raw  cold  but  Plasant  sun 

29  clear  and  a  warm  sun."' 

The  diary  here  begins  in  cypher. 

"boutat  hist  imew  Eware  desint  omakeo  uras  Capeas  w  Ecouldg 
oto  ti." 

[Translation.] 

"Bout  at  this  time  we  ware  designed  to  make  our  escape  as  we  could 
go  to  ti  (Ticonderoga). 


1776.]  MILITARY    HISTORY.  251 

31  "  tha  yfound  clou  tour  desin  eand  d\v  Ewar  etliratne  du  st  opu  tu 
si  niron  S  t  ha  y  pu  tal  1th  E  Sar  gen  sta  iido  opril  si  nirons." 

[Translation.] 
"Tliay  found   out   our  desine  and  we  ware  thratned  to  put   us  in 
irons  they  put  all  the  sargents  and  corprils  in  irons." 

"  April  1  the  first  day  of  A  [April]  I  was  put  in  irons  with  the  rest 
of  my  company  and  many  others." 

The  prisoners  were  released  on  parole,  August  ],  were  taken 
to  New  York  by  ship,  and  arrived  in  Boscawen  September  25. 

In  December,  1775,  additional  soldiers  were  called  for,  and  Nich- 
olas Elliot,  Moses  Burbank,  Benjamin  Webster,  and  David  Carter 
served  during  the  winter  in  the  siege  of  Boston. 

177G.  During  the  3'ear  soldiers  were  called  for,  for  the  defence 
of  Ticonderoga  from  the  threatened  attack  of  Sir  Guy  Carleton, 
and  twenty-three  men  enlisted. 

L'eut.  Enoch  Gerrisli,  Joshua  Danford, 

Thomas  Carter,  Isaac  Davis, 

Daniel  Carter,  Lt.  Samuel  Fowler, 

John  Jackmau,  Dea.  Joseph  Iloit, 

James  Gerald  (died).  Col.  Henry  Gerrish, 

Joseph  Pearson,  Charles  Greenfield, 

John  Muzzy,  John  Hale, 

John  Flanders,  Samuel  Jackman, 

Friend  Little,  Phineas  Stevens  (died), 

Thomas  Beadle,  Nathaniel  Burbank, 

Joseph  Atkinson,  Joseph  Couch. 

Nathaniel  Atkinson, 

NEW   YOKK    CAMPAIGN. 

Upon  the  evacuation  of  Long  Island  by  Gen.  Washington  the 

militia  were  called  out  in  the  eastern   colonies.     Boscawen   sent 
eight  soldiers. 

Capt.  Peter  Kimball,  Moses  Morrill, 

*^Lt.  Benjamin  Jackman,  Daniel  Richards, 

Ens.  Samuel  Ames,  Samuel  Jackman, 

Bitfield  Plummer,  Cutting  Noyes. 

WINTER    CAMPAIGN. 

Boscawen  furnished  three  soldiers  for  the  winter  campaign  on 
the  Hudson — Lieut.  Winthrop  Carter,  John  Uran,  Samuel  Bur- 
bank. 


252  MILITARY    HISTORY.  [1777. 

Col.  Henry  Gerrisli  was  in  the  service  of  the  starte  obtaining 
supplies. 

"  BoRcawen  February  1,  1776. 
Received  of  Henry  Gerrisli  one  Hundred  &  sixty  six  Blankets,  Fifty 
seven  tin  Kittles  &  one  Barrel  of  spirits  which  I  promise  to  Deliver  Maj'' 
Cavis  of  Rumney  for  Col  Israel  Morey. 

Elisha  Bean." 

"Reced  of  Coll  Henry  Gerrish  one  Hundred  ami  eitrlity  one  pounds, 
fourteen  shillings  L  m  [lawful  money]  to  pay  Thirty  Three  Men  which 
I  am  ordered  to  raise  out  of  my  Regiment  to  reinforce  the  army  at  New 
York  their  advance  pay  and  Billetting,  which  men  are  to  serve  till  the 
first  day  of  March  next  unless  sooner  discharged. 

December  10"'  1776. 

Thomas  Stickney." 

1777. 

PREPARIXG    FOR    THE    CAMPAIOX. 

3Iay.  At  a  town-meeting  held  the  last  Monday  in  May,  voted 
"  to  raise  sixty  pounds  to  pa}'  the  four  men  hired  by  said  town  to 
serve  in  tlie  continental  ami}'  for  the  term  of  tliree  years." 

A  committee  was  apj^ointed  "to  join  the  military  officers  in 
making  draughts  of  men  as  may  be  wanted  from  time  to  time  for 
the  Continental  service." 

Voted,  That  the  selectmen  "  raise  a  tax  so  large  that  there  be  sixty 
pounds  left  after  the  proportional  part  of  those  who  have  done  service 
is  abated." 

The  selectmen  addressed  a  letter  to  the  Committee  of  Safety  : — 

"  Boscawen  May  17,  1777 
Gentlemen 

In  consequence  of  Express  orders,  the  Town  of  Boscawen  is  this  Day 
assembled  &  called  on  by  the  Capt  of  said  town  that  each  man  be  im- 
mediately a  Quipt  according  to  law  and  as  there  is  found  wanting  a 
Number  of  Fire  Arms  Amnmnition  &c  we  have  Imployed  Capt  Samuel 
Atkinson  and  Mr.  Joseph  Gerrish  to  procure  the  same.  We  Desire 
yovxr  favor  if  thare  be  any  guns  in  store  to  be  purchased  that  you  would 
give  Capt  Atkinson  your  advice  &  assistance  &  also  a  quantity  of  lead. 
Mr.  Atkinson  will  be  able  to  inform  you  of  the  Number  of  arms  & 
Quantity  of  lead  wanted  to  a  Quip  said  Town  &  your  Favor  herein  will 
Gi'eatly  oblige  your  Humble  Sarvents, 


George  Jackman  )  ^  i     i. 

^    ,,P      T.T  -  belectmen 

Cutting  JNoyes     ) 


To  the   Committee   oi\ 
Safety  at  Exeter."  j 


1777.]  MILITARY    HISTORY.  253 


BENNIXGTOX    CAMPAIGN. 

Orders  from  Col.  Thomas  Stickney,  -who  lived  in  Concord, 
readied  Capt.  Kimball  July  1,  to  be  ready  with  his  company  to 
march  at  a  minute's  warning  to  oppose  Gen.  Burgoyne,  who  was 
advancing  from  Canada  to  Lake  Cliamplain.  Cajjt.  Kimball's 
company  marched  July  4th. 

CAPT.  Kimball's  diary. 

"July  1st  1777  orders  came  from  Col  Stickney  to  me  to  muster  and 
Equip  one  Quarter  part  of  the  Company  to  march  at  a  minits  warning 
and  in  conseriuence  of  the  same  we  met  to  git  the  men. 

"July  4  orders  came  to  march  13  men  Immediately  to  tie  [Ticonder- 
oga]. 

"saterday  we  marcht  to  perrytown  [Sutton]  and  Logedthare. 

"  Sunday  G  we  marcht  to  Unity  and  Loged  tliare. 

"  ]Monday  7  we  marcht  to  Xo  4  and  Loged  thare  &  drawd  4  Day  al- 
lowance. 

''  tuesday  8  we  marcht  to  Cavendysh  and  Loged  thare. 

"  Wendesy  9  we  marcht  to  No.  4  again 

"  thursday  lOtli  we  marcht  to  Unity  and  Loged 

''fryday  11  we  marcht  liome." 

The  men  engaged  in  this  service  were, — 

Col.  Henry  Gerrish,  George  Jackman,  Jr., 

Capt.  Peter  Kimball,  John  Morrill, 

Capt.  Peter  Coffin,  Dea.  Isaac  Pearson, 

Lieut.  Enoch  Gerrish,  Daniel  Chirk, 

Lieut.  Moses  Call,  Daniel  Shepherd, 

Nathan  Corser,  John  Manuel, 

Samuel  Clifford,  Michael  Sargent, 

Dea.  Jesse  Flanders,  James  French, 

Enos  Flanders,  Benjamin  Sweatt, 

Nathaniel  Atkinson,  Moses  Jackman. 
Simeon  Atkinson, 

Men  were  called  for  to  go  to  Coos,  and  six  men  sent  as'the 
town's  quota. 

Capt.  Samuel  Atkinson,  William  Danford, 

Jeremiah  Hidden,  Jedidiah  Danforth, 

Moses  Morse,  George  Jackman. 


254  MILITARY    HISTORY.  [1777. 

These  soldiers,  and  hundreds  of  others  from  the  adjoining  towns, 
turned  about,  after  being  out  a  few  days,  upon  receipt  of  the  news 
that  Ticonderoga  had  been  evacuated.  They  were  ordered  to  re- 
turn home.  The  astounding  news  confronted  Col.  Gerrish's  com- 
mand at  Cavendish. 

Ticonderoga  was  evacuated  on  tlie  night  of  the  6th  of  Julj-, — 
the  day  that  the  Boscawen  troops  were  passing  through  Unity. 
The  next  morning,  when  they  were  on  their  way  to  Charlestown, 
the  British  advance  was  falling  upon  Col.  Warner  at  Hubbard- 
ton. 

The  Vermont  Committee  of  Safety,  sitting  at  Manchester,  sent 
a  post-rider  to  New  Hampshire. 

"  New  Hampshire  will  be  the  frontier  state  if  we  are  driven 
out,"  they  said. 

The  N.  H.  Assembly  had  been  in  session  at  Exeter,  but  had 
adjourned.  The  Committee  of  Safety  sitting  there  were  prompt 
to  act.  The  letter  from  Vermont  was  written  the  8th,  and  on  the 
17th  of  July  the  New  Hampshire  Assembly  was  in  session.  What 
was  to  be  done?  The  militia  would  turn  out  at  a  moment's  no- 
tice,— but  who  would  pay  them?  who  command  them?  Then 
came  the  patriotic  speech  of  John  Langdon,  offering  all  his  cash, 
all  his  silver  plate  to  be  melted  up,  all  his  Tobago  rum,  three 
hundred  hogsheads,  to  be  sold.  It  set  the  Assembly  on  fire, 
kindling  anew  their  patriotic  ardor.  The  militia  was  reorganized. 
Whipple  of  Portsmouth  and  John  Stark  of  Amoskeag  were  ap- 
pointed brigadiers.     Orders  were  sent  to  Stark  to  take  the  field. 

Stark  was  on  his  farm.  He  had  done  well  for  his  country,  but 
had  been  superseded,  and  had  retired  from  the  service,  feeling 
that  he  had  not  been  fairl.y  dealt  with  ;  but  he  accepted  the  commis- 
sion. His  orders  enabled  him  to  act  independently.  He  was  to 
defend  the  frontier.  Messengers  carried  his  orders  post  haste  to 
his  subordinates. 

Capt.  Peter  Kimball  was  at  work  on  his  farm  at  Queen  street. 
He  probably  received  his  orders  on  the  22d,  for  his  company  was 
on  the  march  on  the  24th,  the  rendezvous  being  at  Salisbury. 

The  next  night  they  reached  Saville  (Sunapee).  The  fourth 
day  they  reached  Charlestown.  Gen.  Stark  was  there,  sending 
forward  supplies, — directing  the  troops,  as  they  came  in,  to  move 
on  to  Manchester,  Vermont.     He  was  fretting  over  the  want  o^ 


1777. j 


MILITARY    HISTORY. 


255 


bullet  moulds.     He  had  only  one  mould  for  tlie  whole  army,  hut 
that  was  kept  going  night  and  day. 

A  full  company  consisted  of  60  men.  Capt.  Kimball  marched 
from  Boscawen  with  22,  but  four  others  joined  him,  making  26 
from  Boscawen.  The  Concord  soldiers,  under  Lieut.  Richard 
Herbert,  joined  him  on  the  march.  The  company  was  thus  or- 
ganized : 


Capt.  Peter  Kimball, 
Lieut.  Richard  Herbert, 
Ensign  Andrew  Pettengil, 
Segt.  Jesse  Abbot, 
Segt.  Abner  Flanders, 
Segt.  William  Danforth, 
Serg.  Nathan  Davis, 
Corp.  Richard  Flood, 
Corp.  Lavid  Burbank, 
Corp.  John  Abbot, 
Corp.  Theodore  Farnum, 
Fifer  Ellas  Abbot, 
Drummer  Asa  Corser, 


PRIVATES. 


Stephen  Abbot, 
Ezra  Abbot, 
Benjamin  Ambrose, 
Jonathan  Ambrose, 
Peter  Blanchard, 
Wells  Burbank, 
Thomas  Beedle, 
Philbrick  Bradley, 
Jonathan  Corser, 
David  Corser, 
Daniel  Carter, 
i/' Nathan  Carter, 
Abner  Chase, 
Simeon  Danforth, 
Elknah  Danforth, 
Timothy  Danforth, 
Reuben  Diamond, 
Benjamin  Elliot, 
James  French, 
Jesse  Flanders, 


Boscawen. 

Concord. 

Salisbury. 

Concord. 

(.1 

Boscawen. 

Concord. 

Boscawen. 

Concord. 


Boscawen. 


Concord 


Boscawen. 

Concord. 
Boscawen. 


Concord. 
Boscawen. 

(( 

Concord. 

(( 

Boscawen. 


256 


MILITARY    HISTORY. 


[177< 


Ephraim  Fisk,  Jr., 
Israel  Glines, 
Solomon  Gage, 
David  George, 
Cliarles  Greenfield, 
John  Hutcliins, 
Samuel  Ilickson, 
Abial  Hall, 
Jedidiah  Hoit, 
Timotliy  Jackman, 
"William  Jackman, 
John  Jackman, 
Timothy  Johnson, 
Benjamin  Little, 
Friend  Little, 
Samuel  Morse, 
Isaac  Pearson, 
John  Peters, 
Anthony  Potter, 
Phineas  Stevens, 
"William  Symonds, 
Simon  Trumbull, 
Daniel  Uran, 
Gilman  West, 


Concord. 
(( 

ti 

Boscawen. 
(. 

Concord. 

a 

Boscavven. 


Concord. 
Boscawen. 


Concord. 


Boscawen. 
Concord.     [57] 


]\[ancliester,  west  of  the  Green  ^Mountains,  was  the  rendezvous ; 
and  the  Boscawen  troops  reached  that  town  on  Thursday,  July 
31st.  Col.  Stickney  arrived  on  the  3d  of  August,  and  Gen.  8tark 
on  the  6th. 

A  large  number  of  the  people  of  western  Vermont  were  loyal  to 
the  Crown,  and  the  property  of  Tories  was  liable  to  confiscation. 
Gen.  Stark  accordingly  despatched  Lt.  Col.  Emerson  with  a  bat- 
talion to  Rutland  to  obtain  cattle  and  other  sujiplies.  Capt.  Kim- 
ball's company  formed  a  part  of  the  battalion. 

The  expedition  started  on  the  8th  of  August,  marched  to  Eut- 
land,  secured  two  hogsheads  of  rum,  a  quantitj'  of  maple  sugar, 
and  a  herd  of  cattle. 

Events  were  ripening.  Burgoyne  was  at  Stillwater,  on  the 
Hudson,  flushed  with  success,  and  wanting  only  horses  to  enable 
him  to  push  on.  He  accordingly  directed  Col.  Baum  to  move 
across  the  state  to  Cliarlestown,  go  down  the  Connecticut  to  Brat- 


o 

o 


03 


m 


1777.]  MILITARY    HISTORY.  257 

tleborough,  and  return  through  Massachusetts,  and  join  him  at 
Albany.  His  Tory  friends  informed  him  that  the  inhabitants 
were  loyal,  and  that  on  the  appearance  of  the  troops  they  would 
declare  their  allegiance. 

On  the  morning  of  the  12th,  while  the  Boscawen  troops  were  at 
Rutland,  fifty-five  miles  north  of  Bennington,  the  expedition  of 
Col.  Baum  started  from  Stillwater,  and  marched  a  short  distance. 
Burgoyne's  whole  force  was  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Hudson. 
Baum's  command  was  composed  of  Hessians,  British,  Canadians, 
Tories,  and  Indians,  and  numbered  about  800  in  all.  He  marched 
on  the  13th  to  Cambridge,  sixteen  miles  from  the  Hudson.  He 
sent  out  a  party,  who  captured  fifteen  Vermont  men,  who  were  tak- 
ing supplies  to  Gates, — cattle,  horses,  and  carts, — which  he  sent  to 
Biirgoyne,  with  the  information  that  eighteen  hundred  rebels 
were  at  Bennington.  This  was  an  exaggeration,  Stark's  force  at 
that  time  being  less  than  fifteen  hundred. 

Stark  was  ignorant  of  the  advance  of  Baum.  The  ten  men 
who  escaped  reported  seeing  only  Indians  and  Tories ;  and  Stark, 
on  the  14th,  sent  Lieut.  Col.  Gregg  towards  Cambridge  with  two 
hundred  men,  to  stop  the  marauders. 

On  the  morning  of  the  14th,  the  Boscawen  troops  were  ten 
miles  north  of  Manchester,  fully  thirty-five  miles  from  Benning- 
ton, marching  southward  with  their  rum,  sugar,  and  cattle.  At 
the  same  time  Baum  was  breaking  up  his  encampment  at  Cam- 
bridge, and  moving  on  to  Bennington.  Gregg  at  the  same  time 
was  going  with  his  two  hundred  men  to  Cambridge. 

Baum  reached  Van  Schaik's  mill  about  8  o'clock,  and  encoun- 
tered Gregg.  A  few  volleys  were  fired,  and  Gregg  fell  back,  hav- 
ing first  broken  down  the  bridge  across  the  Walloomsic,  which 
Baum  was  obliged  to  rebuild.  He  sent  a  despatch  to  Burgoyne : 
"  I  will  proceed  so  far  to-day  as  to  fall  on  the  enemy  to-morrow 
early." 

Intelligence  of  what  was  going  on  reached  Stark,  who  advanced 
to  support  Gregg ;  but  not  finding  a  good  place  to  make  a  stand, 
he  fell  back  to  Bennington. 

Baum  selected  a  position  on  a  hill,  and  went  into  camp,  send- 
ing a  messenger  to  Burgoyne  for  reinforcements,  who  detached 
Col.  Breyman  with  five  hundred  of  his  best  troops  and  two  pieces 
of  artillery,  to  aid  him. 

17 


258  MILITARY    HISTORY.  [1777. 

On  the  evening  of  the  14th,  while  Baum  is  in  camp,  the  Bos- 
cawen  troops  are  at  Manchester,  twenty-five  miles  distant.  The 
remnant  of  Col.  Warner's  Vermont  regiment,  which  fought  nobly 
at  Hiihbardton,  is  also  at  Manchester,  though  Warner  himself  is 
at  Bennington.  At  this  same  moment,  a  few  Berkshire  militia — 
ahont  150 — under  Symonds,  accompanied  by  Rev.  Mr.  Allen  of 
Pittsfield,  are  on  the  march  from  Williamstown. 

August  15.  The  rain  pours  in  torrents,  but  the  Boscawen  men 
are  making  the  twenty-five  miles  between  Manchester  and  Ben- 
nington. We  may  imagine  them  toiling  along  the  forest  road, 
reaching  Bennington  at  night,  hungry,  weary,  drenched.  Almost 
at  the  same  time  the  Berkshire  troops  arrive,  and  Parson  Allen 
hastens  to  Gen.  Stark's  tent. 

"  General,"  says  the  bluff  preacher,  *'  the  people  of  Berkshire 
have  frequently  been  called  ujjon  to  fight,  but  never  have  had  a 
chance  ;  and  we  have  resolved,  if  you  will  not  let  us  fight  now, 
never  to  turn  out  again." 

*'  Do  you  want  to  go  now,  in  the  rain,  at  midnight  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Well,  if  the  Lord  gives  us  sunshine  once  more,  and  I  don't 
give  you  fighting  enough,  I  won't  ask  you  to  turn  out  again." 

The  morning  of  the  16th  was  calm  and  serene,  the  sky  without 
a  cloud.  The  Boscawen  soldiers  dried  their  clothes,  and  prepared 
for  the  battle. 

Stark,  Warner,  and  Ashley  reconnoitre  Baum's  position. 
Warner  is  a  citizen  of  Bennington,  and  is  familiar  with  every 
locality. 

Noon  comes.  Stark  is  a  mile  or  more  east  of  Baum's  entrench- 
ment, on  the  east  side  of  the  Walloomsic  river.  He  sends  Stick- 
ney  and  Hobart  with  two  hundred  men  to  attack  one  hundred 
Tories,  entrenched  on  a  hillock  by  the  river  to  hold  the  bridge 
which  crosses  the  stream. 

He  sends  Col.  Herrick  with  three  hundred  men  to  the  rear  of 
Baum,  to  attack  from  the  west.  Col.  Nichols  marches  with  three 
hundred  men  to  attack  from  the  north.  Stickney  and  Hobart 
will  attack  from  the  south,  and  Stark  himself  from  the  east. 

Three  o'clock.  Herrick  has  made  a  long  march  through  the 
woods,  but  has  reached  his  position.  Stickney,  with  the  Bos- 
cawen, Concord,  Loudon,   Salisbury,  Hopkinton,   and   Henniker 


L     ^  %:  ^  1^  i»  r»  ia   . 


^^•^  •  >*=^^T-  ' '■^  ■     ->'•     ^    ..  s- ■■-..;•■■  ;f  "•■'•  ••'■7) ;°.t-- (•.•.' ^-^  <-»-'      <....- 


.^'  rrj^f  •c  .rr 


260  MILITARY    HISTORY.  [1777. 

troops,  is  emerging  from  the  woods  in  front  of  the  Tories.  Each 
man  has  a  corn-husk  in  his  hat,  for  the  Tories,  like  themselves, 
are  in  citizens'  dress,  and  every  man  with  a  corn-husk  in  his  hat 
is  a  friend ;  all  others  are  foes. 

Beyond  Stickney  are  the  Pl3'mouth,  Eridgewater,  and  New 
Chester  men,  under  Hohart. 

Then  comes  a  rattle  from  Herrick's  guns.  Nichols  takes  it  up. 
The  Boscawen  men,  emerging  from  the  cornfield,  confront  the 
Tories  behind  the  breastwork  by  the  bridge.  Stark,  with  the 
main  body,  comes  out  into  an  open  field.  We  hear  his  laconic 
speech  :  "  There  are  the  red-coats.  They  must  be  ours  before 
night,  or  Molly  Stark  sleeps  a  widow  !  " 

No  need  to  repeat  the  household  story — how  the  battle  waxed 
hot  and  fierce ;  how  Stickney  drove  the  Tories  from  their  shelter. 
how  the  patriots  pressed  on,  undaunted  by  the  roar  of  Baum's 
cannon ;  how,  at  last,  destitute  of  bayonets,  they  charged  up  the 
hill,  leaped  over  the  breastworks,  seized  the  cannon,  overwhelm- 
ing the  Hessians,  trampling  them  beneath  their  feet ! 

On  what  page  of  history  can  there  be  found  a  counterpart  to 
their  heroism? — farmers,  knowing  nothing  of  war,  destitute  of 
bayonets,  armed  only  with  muskets  and  fowling-pieces,  charging 
the  veteran  troops  of  England  and  Germany  in  their  entrench- 
ments ! 

The  troops  disperse  to  collect  plunder.  Only  a  handful  of  the 
enemy  have  escaped.  Baum  is  mortally  wounded.  The  troops 
are  exulting  over  the  victory.  They  are  filling  their  canteens 
with  rum,  from  a  cask  which  Stark  has  ordered  up,  when  there  is 
a  sudden  change  of  scene.  Breyman,  with  his  five  hundred  fresh 
troops  and  two  pieces  of  cannon,  appears,  stung  to  the  quick 
over  the  disaster.  They  open  with  their  cannon.  Not  a  regi- 
ment nor  a  company  of  Stark's  command  is  in  line.  But  there 
is  quick  rallying.  Men  do  not  stop  to  find  their  companies,  but 
fall  in  where  they  are.  The  battle  begins,  fiercer  than  ever.  The 
Americans  are  driven ;  but  at  last  Warner's  men,  one  hundred  and 
forty  in  number,  appear  upon  the  field.  They  are  smarting  over 
their  defeat  at  Hubbardton.  Their  coming  turns  the  scale. 
The  British  ranks  waver,  and  finally  break.  A  panic  seizes  the 
soldiers,  who  flee,  throwing  away  their  guns  and  equipments. 
The  Americans  follow  them  till  night,  and  then  return  to  gather 
•up  the  spoils. 


1777.]  MILITARY    HISTORY,  261 

The  British  loss  is  two  hundred  and  seven  killed  and  woixnded, 
seven  hundred  prisoners,  seven  hundred  stand  of  arms,  four  can- 
non, and  a  great  amount  of  plunder, — in  all,  a  loss  of  about  one 
thousand  men.  The  American  loss  was  thirty  killed  and  forty 
wounded. 

Historians,  in  these  later  years,  recognize  Bennington  as  the 
turning-point  of  the  American  Revolution.  Burgoyne's  fate  was 
decided  there.  With  the  failure  of  his  expedition  came  the  alli- 
ance of  the  United  States  with  France, — resulting  in  the  inde- 
pendence of  the  colonies. 

So,  on  that  historic  field,  twenty-six  citizens  of  Boscawen  aided 
in  securing  to  the  world  the  right  of  man  to  self-government. 

CAPT.    TETEK    KIMBALl's    DIARY. 

''  July  24th  raarcht  to  Salsbury  with  22  men  and  Loged  in  order  for 
No.  4  [Cliarlestown]. 

"  fryday  25th  we  marclit  to  sevil  and  Loged  thare. 

''  Saturday  2Glh  we  marclit  to  Mr.  Grout's  at  No  4  Loged  thare. 

"  Sunday  27th  we  niarcht  to  town  [Charlestown]  and  Drawd  4  Days 
allowance. 

''  Monday  28  we  marcht  about  4  mile  and  Loged  at  Rockingham. 

"  tuesdy  29  we  marcht  to  Kent  and  Loged  thare. 

"  Wendsdey30  we  marcht  to  Brumley  &  Loged  at  Capt  Kelleys. 

'•  tliiirsdey  31  we  marclit  over  the  green  mountains  to  manchester  to 
Head  Quarters  &  Loged  thare. 

"  fryday  august  1st  we  Drawd  2  days  allowance.  Nothing  extraor- 
dinary hapened  this  Day. 

''  saterdy  2  the  scouts  beat  in  a  Drove  of  cattle.     A  rainy  Day. 

"  Sunday  3(1  Col  Stickney  came  into  camp  in  the  Rain, 

"  JVIondey  4th  nothing  extraordinary  hapened  this  Day.  Abner  Chace 
joined  our  company. 

''  tuesdy  5th  sim  Danford  come  in  and  joined  us. 

'   Wendsdy  6th  general  Stark  come  in. 

"tiiursdy  7  orders  came  for  a  scout  to  go  to  the  crick  [Otter  Creek]. 
Lt  Col  [Emerson]  1  Capt  [Kimball]  4  sub  83  officers  [privates?]  en- 
cluded  paraded  at  the  generals  at  7  o'clock  evening.  Dismist  &  ordered 
to  meet  at  7  oclock  in  the  morning. 

"  trydy  8th  marcht  about  lOO  men  for  the  crick.  Col  Emerson  com- 
manded,    niarcht  10  or  12  miles  campt  at  Danbury. 

"  Saterdy  9tii  marcht  about  3  miles  and  Brakfast  at  a  tory  house  then 
marcht  to  Dedham  &  campt. 


262  MILITARY    HISTORY.  [1777. 

.*'  Sundy  10th  we  marcht  to  Rutland  took  2  hogsheads  of  Rum  & 
marcht  b.ick  to  Dedham  and  Loged  tliare. 

"  monday  11th  sent  a  party  &  found  2  barrels  of  rum  &  some  whugar 

"  tuesdy  12th  we  marcht  to  fisks  and  Loged.    Alarm  was  made. 

"  Wendsdy  13  we  marcht  and  campd  with  the  Drove  and  cargo. 

"thursdy  14th  we  marcht  to  Manchester 

"  frydy  15  we  marcht  to  Bennington 

"  Saterday  16  we  formed  the  Brigade  &  liad  a  battle  with  the  enemy 
in  whicii  I  Received  a  slite  wound. 

''  Sandy  17  I  went  &  viewed  the  ground  where  the  Battle  was  &  re- 
turned to  camp,  and  Laid  in  camp  all  Day. 

"  Mondy  18  we  Lay  in  the  camp  sent  out  scouts  Berried  some  Dead 

"  tuesday  19th  I  went  to  town  to  see  the  sick  &  wounded.  Rote  a 
Letter  to  send  home. 

'' wensday  20  we  Lay  in  our  camp  &  I  v/ent  &  viewed  the  ground 
where  the  battle  was. 

"  Thursdy  21  we  left  tlie  Lines  &  marcht  about  2  mile  &  Quartered 
in  a  liarn  at  one  abbots. 

"■fryday22  we  Lay  in  the  barn.  Notl)ing  extraordinary  hapened 
this  Day. 

"  Saterdey  23  I  went  to  town  to  see  the  sick  and  wounded. 

"  Sunday  2-ith  I  went  to  see  the  sick  to  town  the  afternoon  went  to 
meeting. 

"  monday  25th  I  went  to  town  to  the  Vandue  of  the  plunder. 

"  tuesday  26  sarch  was  made  for  plunder  in  the  company. 

"  Wensday  Aug  27  I  went  to  Vandue. 

"  thursday  28  Nothing  extraordinary  hapened  this  day. 

"  fry  day  29  I  went  to  Vandue. 

"  Saterday  80  I  went  to  see  the  ground  where  the  battle  was  witli  Lt 
Center  &  Dr  flanders,  &  the  soldiers  come  in  from  Boscawen  [another 
company  that  arrived  after  the  battle]. 

"  Sunday  31  major  Head  Died  about  Sun  Rise.    Burried  at  Evening. 

"Sept  Monday  1st  we  built  a  Booth  to  drink  tody  in. 

"  tuesday  2  timothy  Johnson  had  a  disciiarge  from  the  army 

"  wensday,  3d  timothy  Johnson  went  of  home 

''  thursday  4th  I  went  to  Vandue  &  bot  a  hatian  [Hessian]  gun  for 
49  shillings 

''  frydey  5  ordered  to  be  ready  to  march  to  Ranzelers  mills,  and  I 
■went  10  town  and  saw  the  Bayraen  [Breymen  prisoners]  march  for 
manchester. 

"  Saterdey  6  we  marcht  to  st  Coyce  &  Barrickt  [barracked]  thare. 

"  Sunday  7th  I  went  to  Head  Quarters  and  Drank  some  whiskey  at 
Ranclyes  seller  [Rensselaer's  cellar]. 


1777.]  MILITARY    HISTORY.  263 

*'  Monrlay  8th  nothing  extraordinary  hapened  this  Day. 

"tue^dey  9th  orders  came  to  hold  ourselves  in  Rediness  to  march  to- 
morrow morning  by  Sun  Rise  for  Still  water. 

"  weiidsdey  Idth  we  marcht  to  Cambridge  and  Loged 

"  thursday  11  we  marclit  to  Still  water  and  canipt  the  East  side  of 
North  River  Thare  I  saw  Nehemiah  Carlton 

"fryday  12  we  marcht  over  the  River  and  campt  on  the  West  side. 

"  saterdey  13  orders  came  to  march  and  we  swung  our  packs  and 
marcht  about  3  miles  &  joined  the  continental  army  &  campt  in  the 
wood. 

"  Sundy  14th  I  went  through  the  Encampment  to  see  my  acquaint- 
ance, thare  I  saw  Nehemiah  Carlton  and  in  the  afternoon  Mr.  Ilibbert 
preacht  a  sermon. 

"Mondey  l-5th  orders  came  to  parade  the  Regt  &  accordingly  we  was 
paraded  &  Col  Ashley  told  us  that  it  was  the  Desire  of  Genl  Gates  that 
we  should  stay  one  month  Longer  &  he  would  give  ten  Dollars  a  man 
&  the  men  seemed  Not  inclined  to  stay  on  that  consideration  &  at  night 
General  Stark  came  into  camp. 

"  tuesdey  16th  Nothing  extraordinai-y  Hapened  this  Day. 

"Wendsday  17  we  Lay  in  our  camp 

"thursdy  18  I  Left  the  camp  &  marcht  to  Benningtown  &  Loged  at 
Mr  Abbot's. 

"  frydey  19.  I  went  to  town  &  gut  the  plunder  money  for  the  com- 
pany £1 — 13 — 7 — 0  which  was  in  the  Benningtown  fight  of  my  com- 
pany 

"  Saterdey  20th  marcht  to  Shaftsbury  &  gut  Brakfast  from  thence  to 
Manchester  &  gut  dinner  then  to  the  mountains  &  Campt 

"  Sundey  21  marcht  to  Capt  Ritty's  gut  Brakfast  then  to  Kint 
[Kent?]  at  Dr  aeons  &     oged  thare 

"  mondey  22d  we  marcht  to  No  4  &  Loged  at  Col  Hunts. 

"  tuesdy  23d  I  marcht  to  Unity  and  Loged  at  Capt  Huntoon's 

"  Wensd}''  24  I  marcht  to  Perrytown  and  Loged  thare. 

"  Thursdy  25  I  gut  home. 

"The  plunder  money  at  Bennington  Divided  to  2250  men. 

"  A  Return  of  the  killed  &  wounded  General  Starks  Brigade  in  ye  ac- 
tions at  Benningtown. 

"  Col  Hubbert  Regt  3  killed    7  wd 

"  Col  Nichols  Regt     9  killed  13  wd 

"  Col  Stickney  Regt  2  killed  18  wd 

"total  14  killed  38  wd 


264  MILITARY    HISTORY.  [1777. 

"  ITEMS. 

"  Charlestown  July  28  1777 

£     s.     p. 
*'  paid  for  clove  water  for  the  company  0 — 10 — 6 

paid  for  brandy  0 —  9 — 0 

Lieut  Harbert  paid  for  Bread  0 —  1 — 0 

Capt  paid  for  Bread  0 —  1 — 0 

"  Benningtown  August  31 
"Capt  Webster  Dr  to  0—12—0 

Paid  to  Daniel  Uran.'' 

This  was  Capt.  Ebenezer  Webster  of  Salisbury,  father  of  Dan- 
iel and  Ezeldel. 

£     s. 

"  Paid  for  Sargt  Abbot  0—3—0—0 

Elk.  Dan  ford  Dr  0—3—6 

Asa  Corser  Dr  0 — 6 — 0 

Wm  Jackman  Dr  0 — 6 — 0 

paid  for  Lieut  Harbert  0 — 1 — 1 

paid  Ensign  Bohonnon  Lieut.  Harbert  0 — 9 — 0 

"Benningtown — 5  1777 
"  this  Day  settled  our  mess  &  find  that  our  expenses  at  mr  Abbot  is 
0 — 13—2,  paid  by  Lieut  Harbert. 

"  11  Batches  of  Bread  Baking  16s. — 6  for  the  company  2s.— 0  to  each 

mess  of  the [regiment?] 

for  Baking  8—5-7-0 
4  Bakings  0-6-0 

"  Sept  1777  s 

"  Lent  to  Elknh  [Elkanah]  Danford  12—6 

£     s 
Lent  to  Capt  Webster  0—1—0—0" 

Although  Boscawen  had  sent  twenty-six  men  to  Bennington, 
although  several  of  the  citizens  were  in  the  Continental  line,  there 
were  others  ready  to  leave  at  a  moment's  notice.  The  news  of 
the  victory  was  soul-stirring.  There  is  no  evidence  that  any 
orders  were  received  for  additional  troops,  only  the  general  re- 
quest for  everybody  to  turn  out.  On  the  24th  of  August,  twelve 
men  started  for  Bennington,  to  join  Capt.  Kimball's  company. 


Q  ^    /ycA^o-L..^-x/u-'e^~-^-i^n^ 


1777.] 


MILITARY    HISTORY. 


265 


Nathaniel  Burbank, 
Bitfield  Plumer, 
Benjamin  Atkinson, 
Joseph  Pear.son, 
John  Flanders, 
David  Flanders, 


Joseph  Flanders, 
Ezekiel  Flanders, 
Jeremiah  Eastman, 
Jeremiah  Hidden, 
Nathan  Cor.ser, 
Capt.  Peter  Coffin. 


Lieut.  Col.  Henry  Gerrisli  was  not  in  the  battle.  He  raised  a 
battalion,  wliich  went  into  service  a  few  days  later  under  General 
Stark. 

At  a  sale  of  plunder,  held  at  Battenkill,  October  18.  1777,  Col. 
Henry  Gerrish  was  chosen  clerk,  and  Capt.  Sears,  vendue  mas- 
ter.    Capt.  Sears  Avas  undoubtedly  Capt.  Sears  of  Bennington. 

Where  the  "plunder"  was  obtained  is  not  quite  clear.  There 
was  a  large  amount  of  dry  goods,  watches,  knives,  and  clothing. 
The  note-book  of  Col.  Henr}'  Gerrish  is  badly  blurred.  A  few  ex- 
tracts are  given  : 

"At  a  vendue  held  at  Battenldll  Octob  1S">  1777  Henry  Gerrish 
chosen  Clerk  Capt  Moulton[?]  to  assist  him  Capt  Sears  Vendue  Mas- 
ter: Capt  Ford  the  Highest  bidder 

1  gun 

1  gun 

Job  Moulton  one  white  horse 

Col  Henry  Gerrish  one  watch 

Capt  Ford  1  watch 

Cajat  Sear  Sword 

David  Danford  1  coat 

John  Coffin  1  set  curtains 

Ensign  Morrill  cambrick 

Enoch  Coffin  white  Holland 

David    Danford    two    towels   and    remnant    of 
Holland 

Joseph  Tales  pair  slieets 

Mark  Currier  19  yds  Lawn 

Samuel  Hopkins  Indian  stockings 

Alex  Bar  check*!  Linen 


£3 


s       p 

3—  3 

3—  9 

G—  0—  0 

8_U—  0 

11—14"  0 

3—18—  0 

15—  0 
4—13—  0 
2—11—  0 
2—11—  0 

1—  1—  0 
4—  4—  0 
4—  4—  0 

16—  0 
2—15—  0 


The  sale  of  plunder  amounted  to  £298  Is.  6d. 


FALL    CAMPAIGN. 

The  town  had  fifteen  soldiers  in  the  fall  campaign.     In  a  note 


266                                          MILITARY    HISTORY.  [1777 

in   Col.  Henry  Gerrisli's  book,  we   find  the   number  of    soldiers 
from  adjoining  towns  in  this  campaign  : 

"  Concord  32 

Ilopkinton  22 

Boscuwen  15 

Hillsborough  7 

Bow  6 

Warner  4 


86—6  " 
The  annexed  ''  6  "  is  explained  below. 

"  Charlestown  Oct  4"^  1777. 
"John  Church  Esq 

"  S''  please  to  Deliver  the  Bearer  22|  lb  of  Powder  for  86  men  of  my 
Regiment  &  six  men  of  Col  Even's  Regiment 

"  Henry  Gerrish  Lt  Col." 

It  is  quite  probable  that  the  plunder  of  the  Battenkill  sale 
came  from  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Edward,  and  was  taken  by  the 
New  Hampshire  troops,  who  were  in  the  rear  of  Burgoyne. 

"  Concord  Nov  7,  1777 
"  Recieved  of  Henry  Gerrish  my  share  of  Plunder  money  taken 
above  Fort  Edward  &  also  the  shares  of  John  Evens,  Stilson  Eastman 
Enoch  CofBii,  Moses  Abbot,  Philip  Abbot,  Amos  Abbot,  &  John 
Farnum  the  whole  being  seventy  four  dollars  &  two  thirds  Recieved  by 
me  "  Joshua  Abbott, 

"  Capt." 

The  rally  to  the  defence  of  the  country  was  wholly  independent 
of  Congress.  It  was  a  state  affair.  The  men  who  fought  the 
battle  of  Bennington  were  citizens,  and  they  declined  to  put 
themselves  under  Continental  authorit}^  Upon  the  surrender 
of  Burgoyne  they  wished  to  leave  for  home.  The  letter  of  thanks 
from  Gen.  Gates  shows  how  highly  the  services  rendered  b}^  them 
were  appreciated: 

"  Camp  at  Saratoga  Oct  18  1777 

"  Sir,  I  desire  you  will  acquaint  the  volunteers  of  New  hampshire  of 
the  High  sense  I  have  of  their  merit  &  service  in  the  Defence  of  the 
common  cause  &  of  the  alacrity  &  spirit  with  which  they  have  stept 
forth  at  this  critical  ajid  Important  season  to  the  Deliverance  of  their 
country.     They  have  now  my  Leave  to  return  home  with  their  Honor- 


1777.]  MILITARY    HISTORY.  267 

able  Dismission  convinced  tliey  will  be  ready  upon  every  Important  Oc- 
casion to  join  the  Northern  Army. 

''I  am  sir  your  affectionate  Humble  Servant 

"Horatio  Gates 
"  Honble  Brigad''  Gen  Whipple, 
'•  Copy 
'•  To  Col  Gerrish" 

CONTINEXTAL    SOLBIERS. 

Three  regiments  were  raised  by  the  state  at  the  beginning  of 
the  war  for  the  Continental  service.  The  muster-rolls  of  Stark — 
the  first — give  the  names  of  six  citizens  of  Boscawen,  with  the 
date  of  enlistment  and  discharge  : 

"  Batchelder  William  Enlisted  10  Jan  1777,  Dis  1  Jan  1780 
"  Bishop  Enos  Enlisted  1  Jan  1777  died  8  Aug  1778.     He  was  cap- 
tured by  the  Indians  15  Aug  1754,  &  taken  to  Canada  [see  p.  69]. 
"  Evans  Edward  Enlisted  7  Feb  1777,  Discharged  1  Dec  1781 
"  Flanders  Philip  Enlisted  1  Jan  1777,  Discharged  1  Jan  1782 
"  Ilalcomb  Matthew  enlisted  1  Jan  1777,  Deserted  9  July  1777 
"  Stevens  Peter  Roswell  enlisted  1  Jan  1777  Discharged  1781." 

These,  with  the  exception  of  Halcomb,  took  part  in  the  battle  of 
Stilhvater,  September  19,  and  of  Saratoga,  October  7.  In  the  fii*st 
battle,  three  Xew  Hampshire  regiments,  and  Dearborn's  battalion 
of  250  Xew  Hampshire  troops,  were  attached  to  Morgan's  rifle- 
men, and  with  them  did  all  the  fighting  from  one  o'clock  till  nearly 
four  in  the  afternoon,  sustaining  the  brunt  of  the  battle.  The  62d 
British  regiment  of  600  men  was  nearly  annihilated  by  their 
withering  fire. 

KHODE    ISLAND    CAMPAIGN. 

The  call  for  troops  during  the  year  was  for  the  defence  of  Rhode 
Island.  Below  are  the  names  of  the  soldiers  who  served  in  that 
campaign  : 

FROM    THE    selectmen's    BOOKS. 

"The  Men  Hereafter  Named   have  Recieved  the    Savrill   sums  set 

against  each  of  thare  Names  in  Consequence  of  thare  going  to  Rhode 

Island  at  the  Request  of  the  Committee  of  Safety.  £       s       p 

Enoch  Gerrish  10—  0—  0 

Joseph  Gerrish  10 —  0 —  0 

Daniel  Shepard  10—  0—  0 


268  MILITARY    HISTORY.                                     [1798. 

Joseph  Flanders  ic —  0 —  0 

Moses  Biirbauk  10—  0—  0 

Thomas  Gordon  10—  0 —  0 

Nathan  Davis  10 —  0 —  0 

John  Fhinders  In —  ( —  0 

Isaac  Pearson  10 —  0 —  0 

Wells  Burbank  10—  0—  0 

Humphrey  Jackman  10—  0 —  0 

Samuel  Morrill  ]i  —  (i —  0 

Jedediah  Hoit  10—  (I —  0 


180—  0—  0  " 
"  To  the  Treasurer  of  the  state  of  New  Hampshire, 

"  Sir  please  to  alow  Winthrop  Carter  Constable  for  Boscawen  the 
above  sum  of  one  hundred  &  thirty  pound  out  of  the  State  Tax  for 
Boscawen  assessed  to  order  of  the  committee  of  safety 

George  Jackman  )       Selectmen 
Cutting  Noyes      j  for  Bo.-cawen 

"Boscawen  Sept  3.  1778  " 

The  war  liaving  been  transferred  to  the  Soutliern  states,  there 
was  no  further  call  for  the  militia.  Several  citizens  enlisted  in 
the  Continental  service,  but  their  names  are  not  known,  except 
those  serving  in  the  1st  regiment. 

In  1798,  in  consequence  of  the  interference  of  French  war  ships 
with  American  merchantmen,  serious  trouble  was  apprehended 
between  the  United  States  and  France.  Congress  established  a 
provisional  army  of  eighty  thousand  men,  and  appointed  Wash- 
ington lieutenant-general. 

Nathaniel  Green,  Esq.,  was  commissioned  a  captain,  with  Moses 
Sweat,  of  Concord,  first  lieutenant,  and  Israel  W.  Kelley,  of  Con- 
cord, second  lieutenant.     Eight  citizens  of  Boscawen  enlisted : 

Sergt.  Joseph  Flanders,  Moses  Corser, 

Moses  Jackman,  Nathan  Danforth, 

Daniel  Colby,  Bernard  Young, 

Benjamin  Fisk,  Joshua  Sawyer. 

The  company  assembled  at  Concord,  having  their  quarters  for 
a  few  days  at  Osgood's  tavern,  and  from  thence  marched  to  Oxford, 
Mass.,  the  rendezvous  for  the  New  England  troops.  Negotiations 
were  entered  into,  and  a  war  averted,  and  the  soldiers  dis- 
charged. 


"^ 


f,  ^y^^/UV/'o. 


1812.]  MILITARY    HISTORY.  269 

WAR    OF    1812. 

There  are  no  rolls  in  the  adjutant-general's  office  showing  what 
citizens  enlisted  in  the  service  of  the  United  States  during  the 
war  of  1812-13. 

Col.  Timothy  Dix  commanded  a  United  States  regiment  on  the 
frontier,  and  died  in  the  service  [see  Biographj^]. 

Several  British  ships  of   war  made   their  appearance   on  the 
coast,  and  it  was  supposed  that  Portsmouth  would  be  attacked. 
The  militia  was  called  out  to  defend  it.    There  were  two  drafts, — 
one  for  three,  and  the  second  for  two  months. 
Those  serving  under  the  first  draft  W'ere, — 
Ensign  Richard  Little,  John  P^astman, 

Joiin  Stone,  Jacob  Flanders, 

Moses  Call,  Josiah  Gale, 

Enoch  Burbank,  Nicholas  Gookin, 

Samuel  Burbank,  Simeon  Jackman, 

Moses  Cross,  Joseph  Moses, 

Stephen  Danforth,  Daniel  Shepard.  [14] 

Under  the  second  draft  for  two  months, — 
Capt.    Silas  Call,  who  died  in         Abel  Eastman, 

service,  Samuel  Watson, 

Eleazer  Burbank,  Ephraim  Noyes, 

Jesse  Sweat,  James  Noyes, 

Benj.  Severance,  Theodore  George, 

Amos  Rolf,  Ebenezer  Moody, 

William  Haines,  Amos  Sawyer, 

Guy  C.  Flanders,  Samuel  Jackman.  [15] 

Of  those  enlisting  in  the  regular  service,  the  names  of  a  few 
only  are  known. 

Benjamin  Jackman,  Fisk,  died, 

Moses  Jackman,  Chellis  Eastman,  died, 

Edmund  Day,  killed,  George  Littlefield,  died, 

Benjamin  Fisk,  died,  Eliphalet  Burpee,  died. 

THE    MILITIA. 

No  records  exist  to  tell  us  when  the  first  military  company  was 
organized  in  Boscawen.  Through  the  Indian  wars  every  man 
was  a  soldier.  It  is  known  that  a  company  existed  in  Boscawen 
as  early  as  1769,  and  that  Peter  Coffin  was  captain,  his  commis- 
sion having  been  granted  by  Benning  Wentworth. 


270  MILITARY    HISTORY.  [1812. 

His  successors  in  command  were  Capt.  Samuel  Atkinson,  Col. 
Henry  Gerrish,  Capt.  Peter  Kimball. 

How  long  Capt.  Kimball  commanded,  or  who  succeeded  liim,  is 
not  known. 

In  1792  the  militia  of  the  state  was  reorganized.  Each  regi- 
ment was  composed  of  two  battalions,  the  regiment  being  com- 
manded by  a  lieutenant-colonel,  and  the  liattalions  by  majors. 

The  21st  regiment  was  thus  constituted : 

First  Hattalion.  Boscawen,  Salisbury,  Andover,  New  Lon- 
don, Kearsarge  Gore  (Wilmot). 

Second  Battalion.  Hopkinton,  Warner,  Sutton,  Fishersfield, 
Bradford. 

SECOND    INFANTRY. 

A  second  infantry  company  was  formed  prior  to  1794,  including 
those  liable  to  military  duty  west  of  Beaver-dam  brook.  The 
officers  were  Benjamin  Little,  captain,  Nathan  Kilburn,  lieu- 
tenant, Jeremiah  Gerrish,  ensign,  Capt.  Little  continued  in 
command  probably  three  years. 

The  military  rations  on  a  muster  day  for  a  jiortion  of  the  regi- 
ment,— the  battalion  commanded  by  Maj.  Joseph  Gerrish, — will 
be  seen  from  a  bill  found  among  his  papers  : 

"Maj  Joseph  Gerrish  to  Nathl  Noyes  Dr  Oct  15  1795  £ 

To  15  Gals  3  qts  6  Gils  WI  Rum  delivered  the  companies  5 — 11 — 7 
To  3  Quarts  ditto  to  Lt  Webster  5—3 

To  3  Quarts  Brandy  ditto  7— IJ 

To  33  D'"  Gingerbread  5—0 

£6-8—11^ 
(men)  GalQgilla 
Capt  Chandler's  Company  89 — 2 — 3 — 1 

"     Petingales         "  70—2—0—6 

"     Gale  "  55—1—2—7 

"     Clement  "  07- 2— 0— 3 

"     Little  "  93—2—3—5 

"     Scribner  "  86—2—2—6 

"     Cliandler  the  troop  50—1—2—2 


15_3_6 


Errors  excepted 

Nathl  Noyes 


1812. J  MILITARY    HISTORY.  271 

The  Ttli  Infantry,  commanded  by  Capt.  Benj.  Little,  was  so 
numbered  till  the  division  of  the  regiment  in  1821,  when  it  be- 
came the  6th  company,  but  subsequently  it  was  changed  to  the 
2d  Infantry  of  the  regiment  as  well  as  the  2d  in  the  town. 

THE    CAVALRY. 

The  1st  Cavalry  of  the  21st  regiment  was  organized  at  an  early 
date.  It  is  known  to  have  been  in  existence  prior  to  1787.  It  was 
called  "  the  troop."  In  the  military  organization  of  the  state,  it 
was  contemplated  that  there  should  be  one  companj'  of  cavalry 
connected  with  each  regiment.  The  uniform  consisted  of  white 
pants,  red  coats  with  bell  buttons,  a  black  leather  cap  ornament- 
ed with  an  eagle  on  a  white  shield,  with  chains  and  tassels,  and  a 
red  and  black  plume. 

To  be  a  trooper  sometimes  required  hard  riding  and  hard  drink- 
ing. All  new  members  were  "  crowned  "  when  admitted.  From 
the  private  papers  of  Joseph  Couch,  who  was  farrier  to  the  troop, 
and  upon  whom  was  laid  the  duty  of  "  crowding  "  the  new  mem- 
bers, we  obtain  an  insight  of  the  military  customs  of  the  early 
part  of  the  century.  The  new  soldier  being  brought  before  the 
company,  the  master  of  ceremonies  made  an  address,  first  to  the 
officers,  then  to  the  soldiers,  followed  by  the  giving  of  the  right 
hand  of  fellowship,  the  singing  of  a  song,  and  the  drinking  of  a 
great  deal  of  grog. 

SONG. 

Tune — Lady  Washington. 

"Come,  thou  brave  horseman!  my  hand  I  will  give  you, 
And  will  help  you  to  join  with  the  strong. 
You're  welcome  here  to  dine, 
As  our  company  you'll  join, 

And  we  all  will  unite  in  the  song. 

"  Hail,  mighty  trooper!  submit  to  your  captain 

And  he'll  lead  you,  we  trust,  in  the  way — 
In  the  way  that  you  should  go, 
As  we  trust  that  you  do  know, 

And  we  all  will  unite  in  the  main. 

''  Hark!  hear  the  trumpet:  you,  my  brave  soldiers. 
While  that  you're  clad  in  the  red, 


272  MILITARY    HISTORY.  [1812. 

The  sword  is  at  your  side, 
In  my  hand  you  may  confide, 

While  the  wings  of  the  eagle  are  spread. 

"  The  soil  that's  enriched  by  the  blood  of  brave  men, 

Shall  ne'er  be  oppressed  by  the  slave. 
Then  let  traitors  vaunt  their  pride, 
In  our  captain  we'll  confide, 

While  this  red  coat  is  honored  as  brave  !" 

THE    CHARGE. 

"Brother  soldiers  :  You  look  like  hardy  sons  of  freedom,  in  whom 
our  confidence  may  with  safety  repose.  Then  how  unspeakably  great 
is  your  privilege,  seeing  the  eyes  of  all  who  have  suffered  in  the  cause 
of  virtue  have  earnestly  looked  towards  the  privilege  you  may  now  en- 
joy, and  have  justly  expected  with  you  to  receive  the  crown  of  liberty, 
and  with  you  to  drink  the  water  of  freedom  through  our  happy  land!" 

"  Since  a  charge  you  demand,  I  can't  say  you  nay, 
But  feeling  quite  sure  I  have  little  to  say  ; 
I  must  task  my  invention  to  bring  it  in  rhyme, 
With  all  my  endeavors  to  make  it  combine. 
"  To  take  a  sprig  of  Fashion's  part. 

You  Volunteers  with  all  your  heart  ; 

To  every  wit  the  gauntlet  throw. 

Who  dares  assail  or  give  a  blow; 

And  each  one  of  this  little  gang 

Will  give  a  whack  for  every  bang; 

Receive  a  jeer  for  every  gibe 

That's  aim'd  against  the  trooping  tribe.'' 

Chorus : 

"  Fill  while  we  may, 
For  that's  the  right  way; 
The  night  will  be  on 
While  we  drink  down  the  day." 

THE    ARTILLERY. 

The  Artillery  company  was  the  second  vokinteer  company  in  the 
regiment,  organized  about  the  year  1809,  and  was  supplied  by 
the  state  with  a  four-pound  field-piece.  It  was  a  vigorous  com- 
pany for  many  j'-ears,  but  its  fortunes  began  to  wane  with  the 


7 


,/^>^^?^ 


1812.]  MILITARY    HISTORY.  273 

general  dec,\y  of  the  military  system,  and  was  disbanded  in  1849. 
Nathaniel  Thurston  was  its  last  eommander. 

LIGHT    IXFANTllY. 

The  Boscawen  Light  Infantry  company  was  formed  in  1811. 
Moses  Gerrish,  afterward  colonel,  was  chosen  captain,  Abraham 
Burbank,  lieutenant,  and  James  Giddings,  ensign.  A  uniform 
was  obtained  the  next  year.  It  was  the  third  in  the  regiment  of 
volunteer  companies.  From  that  time  to  the  abandonment  of  the 
military  system  throughout  the  state,  it  was  known  as  an  efficient, 
energetic,  and  well-drilled  compan}-.  Just  before  the  downfall  of 
the  S3^stem,  the  company  obtained  the  rich  and  costly  uniform  of 
the  New  England  Guards  of  Boston.  Its  last  appearance  on  the 
muster-field  was  one  of  its  best, — at  the  brigade  muster  at  Henni- 
ker,  in  1850.  The  ranks  were  full,  and  the  soldiers  under  a  high 
degree  of  discipline,  with  an  efficient  commander,  Capt.  David  E. 
Burbank,  son  of  the  first  lieutenant  of  the  company,  Capt.  Abra- 
ham Burbank,  its  first  commander. 

THE    RIFLE    COMPANY. 

Although  there  were  two  volunteer  companies  in  town,  besides 
one  third  of  the  cavalry,  the  military  spirit  was  high  enough  to 
bring  into  existence  a  volunteer  rifle  compan}^,  which  was  formed 
in  1839,  with  Fitz  Heiuy  Boyden  as  captain.  The  natural  sup- 
position would  have  been,  that  a  young  and  energetic  organization, 
ably  officered,  would  have  overshadowed  the  existing  corps, — the 
Light  Infantry ;  but  the  men  in  the  Light  Infantry,  instead  of 
yielding  their  prestige,  put  forth  new  efforts, — and  the  two  or- 
ganizations, composed  almost  wholly  of  men  residing  in  the  west- 
ern section  of  the  town,  maintained  their  respective  positions,  in 
generous  rivalry,  till  the  abandonment  of  the  military  system. 

MUSTERS. 

Military  musters  were  great  events  in  the  olden  times.  The 
military  spirit  was  high.  Ever}^  able-bodied  citizen,  between  the 
ages  of  18  and  45,  was  called  vipon  to  do  military  duty.  Men  are 
martial  by  nature.     They  love  to  march  after 

"The  ear-piercing  fife  and  spirit-stirring  drum." 

18 


274  MILITARY    HISTORY.  [1812, 

There  was  a  healthful  rivalry  between  the  different  volunteer 
organizations, — each  company  desiring  to  appear  with  full  ranks, 
and  to  show  its  superior  efficiency  in  drill  and  discii)line.  Every 
soldier  of  the  volunteer  companies  looked  forward  to  muster- 
day  with  unalloyed  pleasure.  The  approaching  event  Avas  for 
weeks  the  theme  of  conversation.  Everybody  went  to  muster ; — 
the  soldier,  to  perform  his  duty  ;  his  wife,  to  admire  him  ;  his  chil- 
dren, to  eat  gingerbread  and  candy,  to  drink  egg-nog,  and  explode 
fire-crackers. 

There  was  little  sleep  the  night  preceding  muster-day.  Each 
soldier  deemed  it  his  privilege  to  salute  his  officers  by  firing  be- 
neath his  windows,  shattering  the  glass  by  his  heavy  charges. 
The  "  salute  "  was  acknowledged  by  an  invitation  to  the  soldier 
and  everybody  else  to  step  in  and  help  themselves  to  rum,  gin, 
whiskey,  or  brandy ;  and,  if  the  officer  was  married,  to  sit  down  to 
baked  Indian  pudding  and  beans. 

The  day  began  with  a  carouse.  By  sunrise  every  road  leading 
toward  the  muster-field  was  swarming  with  men, — soldiers  on  foot, 
on  horseback,  or  in  wagons,  with  troops  of  boys,  and  peddlers  of 
every  description. 

The  volunteer  companies  took  pride  in  being  first  on  parade,  to 
display  their  marching  before  the  regimental  line  was  formed. 
Then  began  the  drum-beat, — the  long  roll, — the  formation  of  the 
company  by  the  corporal,  the  reception  of  the  officers,  the  com- 
mand of  the  captain,  "  By  sections,  right  wheel — march."  Then 
the  fifes  and  clarinets  and  bugles  began,  and  the  soul-stirring 
strains  floated  out  on  the  morning  air,  and  the  soldiers,  with  full 
stomachs  and  steady  steps,  moved  across  the  fields,  to  the  delight 
of  the  admiring  spectators.  For  an  hour  or  more  each  company 
marched,  countermarched,  wheeled,  in  section,  in  battalion,  filed 
right  and  left,  passed  defiles  and  obstacles,  changed  front,  and  dis- 
played itself  to  the  best  advantage. 

Then  came  the  formation  of  the  regimental  line,  the  inspection 
and  review,  and  dismissal  for  dinner,  when  each  man  ate  as  he 
never  ate  before.  On  this  one  day  he  gorged  himself.  Did  he 
not  pay  for  his  dinner?  Then  he  was  entitled  to  all  he  could  eat. 
Did  the  state  furnish  him  with  a  dinner?  Then  he  would  have 
all  he  could  get. 

Through  the  forenoon  lie  drinks  several  glasses  of  grog.     He 


1861.]  MILITARY    HISTORY.  275 

takes  another  glass  after  dinner.  In  the  afternoon  comes  the 
sham-fight,  when  muskets  bhize  and  cannon  roar.  The  soldier's 
legs  are  getting  weary,  and  he  takes  more  grog  to  give  him 
strength. 

While  the  sham  battle  is  going  on,  there  is  a  crowd  upon  the 
field.  Peddlers  are  hawking  their  wares,  showmen  exhibiting 
their  two-headed  calves,  and  pigs  with  eight  feet.  A  sleight  of 
hand  performer  is  pulling  ribbons  out  of  his  mouth,  or  chewing 
tow  and  spitting  fire. 

The  sham  battle  is  over.  The  regiment  is  in  line  once  more, 
the  "  rear  rank  "  has  been  called  before  the  colonel  and  thanked 
for  the  soldierly  appearance  of  the  troops,  and  the  regiment  is  dis- 
missed. 

Each  company  moves  away, — some  with  broken  ranks,  some 
with  soldiers  who  are  unsteady  on  their  legs.  The  drummer  gets 
his  rub-a-dubs  mixed,  and  does  not  quite  know  whether  he  is  play- 
ing "  common  "  or  "  compound  "  time,  while  the  fifer  gets  "  Yan- 
kee Doodle  "  confounded  with  "On  the  Road  to  Boston."  Soldiers 
are  firing  their  last  guns,  hucksters  disposing  of  their  last  sheets 
of  gingerbread,  and  the  bibulous  crowd  taking  their  last  drinks  of 
grog.  The  sun  goes  down  through  the  murky  cloud  of  the  sliam 
battle,  the  cannon,  with  sulphurous  lips,  is  limbered  up  and  taken 
away,  and  the  field  gradually  becomes  deserted. 

WAR    OF    THE    RKBELLION. 

The  citizens  of  Boscawen  and  Webster  were  not  behind  their 
fellow-citizens  in  manifesting  their  patriotism  at  the  breaking  out 
of  the  Rebellion,  and  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  maintained 
their  determination  to  preserve  the  country  one  and  indivisible 
forever.  The  quotas  of  both  towns  were  kept  full,  and  all  calls 
from  the  state  promptly  answered. 

REGIMENTS. 

1st.  Col.  M.  W.  Tappan,  3  months. 

2d.  Col.  Gihnan  Marston,  3  years. 

3d.  Col.  E.  Q.  Fellows,  " 

4th.  Col.  Thos.  J.  Whipple,  « 

5th.  Col.  Edward  E.  Cross,  '« 

6th.  Col.  Nelson  Converse,  " 


276  MILITARY    HISTORY.  [18G3. 

7tli.     Col,  H.  S.  Putnam,  3  years. 

8th.     Col.  Hawkes  Fearing,  " 

9th.     Col.  E.  Q.  Fellows,  " 

10th.  Col.  M.  T.  Donahue,  " 

11th.  Col.  Walter  Harriman,  " 

12th.  Col.  Joseph  H.  Potter,  " 

13th.  Col.  Aaron  F.  Stevens,  " 

14th.  Col.  Robert  Wilson,  " 

15th.  Col.  J.  W.  Kingman,  9  months. 

16th.   Col.  James  Pike,  " 

17th.  Col.  Henry  O.  Kent,  " 

1st  Battalion  Cavalry,  D.  B.  Nelson,  3  years. 

]st  Co.  Heavy  Artillery,  C.  H.  Long,  " 

2d  Co.  Heavy  Artillery,  J.  M.  Burton,  " 

1st  Light  Battery,  Geo.  A.  Gerrish,  " 

Co.  E,  1st  Sharpshooters,  A.  B.  Jones,  " 

Co.  F,  2d  Sharpshooters,  H.  M.  Caldwell,  " 

Co.  G,  2d  Sharpshooters,  Wm.  D.  McPherson,  " 

The  ITtli  Regiment  was  consolidated  with  the  2d. 

It  has  been  a  matter  of  no  little  difficulty  to  obtain  an  accurate 
and  authentic  list  of  those  who  served  during  the  four  years,  who 
were  citizens  of  the  towns. 

The  list  of  soldiers  from  Boscawen  is  given  as  per  record  in 
possession  of  Isaac  K.  Gage,  which  varies  materially  from  the  re- 
port of  the  adjutant-general,  published  by  the  state.  The  list  as 
given  below  is  the  record  by  which  the  final  settlement  with  the 
state  was  made,  and  may  be  accepted  as  correct. 

The  records  of  the  movements  of  the  various  regiments  may  be 
found  in  the  reports  published  by  the  state,  and  in  possession  of 
the  town  clerk. 

SOLDIERS    FROM    BOSCAWEN. 

Regt.  Eegt. 

Ames,  Fisher,  Co.  E,  7  Brown,  John  H.,  Co.  F,  9 

Ayer,  Henry  H.,  Co.  B,  3  Bidwell,  Cyrus  B.,  Co.  E,  7 

Abbot,  Daniel  C,  Co.  E,  7  Bidwell,  George  F.,  Co.  E,  7 

Atkinson,  Edmund  W\,  Co.  E,     16  Baker,  Lt.  Henry  W.,  Co.  E,        7 
Bent,  James  AV.,  Co.  F,  Ballard,  Lt.  AVm.  W.,  Co.  B,        2 

Sharpshooters.  Brannan,  Thos.  Navy 

Brannan,  Wm.  H.,  Co.  H,  4  Chandler,  Samuel,  Co.  E,  7 

Boynton,  Jonas  T.,   Sharpshooters.  Clancy,  John,  Co.  E,  7 


J»/^^j 


x>-^^^^^-^^^ 


o 


1863.]  MILITARY    HISTORY.  277 

Regt.  Regt. 

Clancy,  Patrick,  Co.  K,  9  Perry,  Wm.  II.,  8 

Chase,  Aloiizo,  Co.  I,  4  Pritcliard,  Dexter,  Co.  E,  7 

Chadwick,  Edwin  H..  Sharpshooters.  Pierce,  John,  Co.  E,  7 

Coffin,  George,  Co.  E,  IG  Pettengill,  John  H., 

Call,  George,  Co.  H,  U  Heavy  Artillery. 

Chadwick,  Hale,  Co.  C,  17  Riley,  Charles,  Co.  A,  5 

Crane,  Albert  J.,  22dMass.   Raymond,  Liberty  G.,  Co.  E,        7 

Colby,  John  P.,  Cavalry.  Reardoii,  Michael,  Co.  G,  4 

Duffy,  Nicliolas,  Co.  G,  2  Reynolds,  Martin,  Navy. 

Danforth,  Nathan  C,  Co.  A,  5  Raley,  Walter  S-,  Co.  E,  3 

Duckworth,  William,  Co.  E,  7   Sheehan,  Jeremiah,  Co.  C,  3 

Danforth,  Horace  II.,  Cavalry.  Shepard,  Chas.  P.,  Sharpshooters. 

Danforth,  Sylvanus  E.,  Co.  A,       5  Shepard,  Peter  R.,  Co.  E,  16 

Damon,  George,  Co.  I*>.,  2  Smart,  Horace,  Co.  E,  16 

Day,  George,  2d  Heavy    Artillery.  Stevens,  Alexander  S.,  Co.  E,       7 
Day,  Wilson,   2d  Heavy  Artillery.     Story,  Wm.  H.,  Co.  E, 
Evans,  Isaac  C,  Co.  E,  7   Sweatt,  Joseph  S.,  Co.  E,  2 

Flanders,  Curtis,  Co.  I,  10  Simonds,CalvinW., Sharpshooters. 

Flanders,  David  A.,  Co.  E,  10  Smith,  Curtis,  7 

Favor,  Fred  II.,  3  Simonds,  Joseph,  Co.  E,  7 

Flanders,  Josiah  H.,  Cavalry.  Sewell,  William,  Navy. 

Flanders    David  J.,  Navy.   Spearman,  Franklin,  " 

Gage,  Hiram,  Co.  B,  3  Spellman,  John, 

Mayher,  John,  Co.  C,  7  Thurston,  Nathaniel, 

Mitchell.  John,  3  Sharpshooters. 

Muzzey,  Jolin,  Co.  E,  2  Tyler,  James  S.,       Sharp.'^hooters. 

Morse,  Charles  Thornton,  Barnard,  Co.  A,  5 

Morrill,  Hiram  J.,  Heavy  Artillery.     Tewksbury,  Sumner  P.,  Co.  K,    3 
Moulton,  Charles,  Navy.   Tewksbury,  Samuel  F..  Co.  G,     8 

Morse,  Daniel,  Sharpshooters.  Thornton,  John  C,  Co.  G,  8 

McEvely,  Herbert,  Co.  H,  10  Thurston,  John  P.,  Co.  F,  4 

Morrison,  Benj.,         Sharpshooters.  Wooley,  Matthew,  Co.  E,  7 

Paige,  Alonzo,  Co.  D,  11  Wooley,  Samuel,  Co.  A,  5 

Pearson,  Henry,         Sharpshooters.  Woodward,  Albert  B.,  Co.  K,        4 
Pierce,  William  M.,  Co.  K,  9  Whitney,  Charles  S.,  Navy. 

BOSCAWKX    ENROLLMENT. 

Citizens  liable  to  do  military  duty  April  30,  1865,  140 

Total  quota  under  all  calls,  71 

Soldiers  in  service,  volunteers,  and  substitutes,  85 

Surplus,  14 


278 


MILITARY    HISTORY. 


[1863. 


SOLDIERS    FROM    WEBSTER. 

The  record  is  from  the  papers  in  tlie  town-clerk's  office,  and 
from  the  reports  of  the  adjutant-general, — neither  of  them  giving 
in  full  the  company  and  regiments. 

Regt.  Regt. 

Burbank,  Calvin  M.,  Co.  B,  2  Ladd,  Joseph  M. 

Burbauk.  Lt.  David  E.,  Co.  E,     16  Lock,  Warren  F. 
Burbank,  Ezekiel  W.,  Co  E,         16  Little,  Ci)arles,  Surgeon, 


Navy. 
10  Macurdy,  Capt.  David  A.,    Co. 
14  H,  14 

14  Macurdy,  Mattliew,  Co.  H,  14 

14  Page,  Tristram  S.,  Co.  E,  16 

Roby,  Gardiner 
16  Roby,  Geo.  S.,  14 

16   Sanders,  Henry  A. 
Sweatt,  Sumner  J. 
8  Sweatt,  Blaisdell,  Co.  H,  4 

16  Stone,  Lt.  Frederick  P.,    Cavalry. 
16   Searles,  Jefferson,  7 

2  Sanborn,  James  O.,  4 

14  Sanders,  Josepli  E.,  Co.  C, 
16  Sharpshooters. 

16  Sargent,  Lt.  Walter  IL.  Co.  H,  14 
16  Sargent,  Isaac  P.,  Co.  E,  16 

Sargent,  John,      Heavy  Artillery. 

16 


Blanchard,  Carter  F.,  Co.  E, 
Call,  George, 
Corser,  Hamilton  P., 
Corser,  David  S., 
Couch,  Calvin  P. 
Chase,  George  C,  Co.  E, 
Chase,  John  B.,  Co.  E, 
Fisk,  Charles  AV. 
Fellows,  George  S., 
Flanders,  Daniel  F.,  Co.  E, 
Gerrish,  James  L.,  Co.  E., 
Heath,  Charles  N..  Co.  B, 
Jeffers,  Edward  F.,  Co.  H, 
Jack,  Hiram  A.,  Co.  H, 
Jones,  Willard  W.,  Co.  H, 
Jackman,  Jesse  M.,  Co.  II, 
Kilburn,  Daniel  P.,  Co.  C, 

Sharpshooters.   Story,  Warren  A.,  Co.  E, 
Kelley,  Andrew  J.,  Co.  C,  Thompson.  Hiram,  14 

Sharpshooters    Titcomb,  Luther  C,  Co.  E,         16 
Kilburn,  Lucien  M.,  Co.  E,  16  Thurber,  Joseph,  Co.  E,  16 

Libbe,  W.  H.,  Co.  H,  U  Whittier,  John 

Libbe,  Frank,  Heavy  Artillery.  Whittier,  David  J.,  Co.  E,         16 

Ladd,  George  W.,  Co.  II,  14 

WEBSTER    ENROLLMENT. 

Citizens  liable  to  do  military  duty,  April  3,  1865,  63 

Total  quota  under  all  calls,  36 

Soldiers  in  service,  46 

Surplus,  10 

George  S.  Fellows  is  not  credited  to  Boscawen.  He  was  a 
former  resident,  hut  enlisted  from  ISTashua. 

Eev.  Arthur  Little  served  as  chaplain  of  the  16th  Vermont. 

If  the  terms  of  service  and  the  casualties  can  be  correctly  ob- 
tained, they  will  be  given  at  the  end  of  the  volume. 


Boscawen  Academy. 


[1761. 


EDUCATIONAL  HISTORY. 


^|;l  HE  proprietors  of  Contoocoolv  were  required  to  set  aside  one 
^4'^  eiglity-fourtli  part  of  the  land  in  their  grant  for  .school  pur- 
poses, though  there  was  no  stipulation  in  regard  to  establishing 
schools.  Whether  a  public  school  was  established  prior  to  the  in- 
corporation of  the  town  is  doubtful.  The  burdens  of  the  proprie- 
tors were  great.  They  had  to  support  a  minister,  fight  the  Ind- 
ians, maintain  a  garrison,  open  roads,  build  their  houses,  cut  down 
the  forest,  clear  the  land,  and  rear  their  families.  Although  the 
land  had  been  freely  granted,  the  outlay  far  exceeded  the  income. 
Many  of  the  proprietors,  weary  of  paying  money  where  there  was 
no  prospect  of  a  return,  allowed  their  proprietary  rights  to  be  sold 
for  taxes,  and  it  is  not  probable  that  they  taxed  themselves  as 
proprietors  to  maintain  public  schools.  The  records  are  silent  in 
regard  to  any  appropriation.  Probably  the  instruction  received 
by  the  children  of  the  first  settlers  was  wholly  from  their  parents. 

In  1761,  the  year  after  the  incorporation  of  the  town,  thirty 
pounds  was  appropriated  for  a  public  school,  and  Eev.  Mr.  Var- 
ney,  who  had  been  supplying  the  pulpit,  was  employed  as  teacher. 
The  school  was  kept  two  months, — probably  in  Mr.  Varney's  house 
on  King  street. 

The  next  teacher  was  Eev.  Robie  Morrill,  who  taught  in  1766. 
He  had  been  dismissed  as  minister  on  the  9th  of  December,  that 
year,  and  engaged  at  once  in  teaching.     [See  Biog.] 

In  1768,  the  name  of  Moses  Morse  appears  upon  the  records. 
The  appropriation  of  money  was  sufficient  to  employ  him  three 
months. 


280  EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY.  [1782. 

The  records  convey  no  information  in  regard  to  schools  from 
1768  to  1777. 

It  is  altogether  probable  that  schools  were  taught ;  for  a  com- 
munity so  keenly  alive  to  progress  as  that  of  Boscawen  would  not 
willingly  deprive  themselves  of  educational  facilities. 

In  1777,  though  nearly  all  the  able-bodied  men  were  in  the 
army,  and  the  women  had  to  do  a  large  share  of  the  work  in  the 
fields,  a  school  was  taught  by  Nathaniel  Atkinson. 

In  1778,  Nathaniel  Atkinson  and  Mr.  Henry  were  employed  as 
teachers.  The  amount  paid  for  schools  shows  a  liberal  appropria- 
tion, when  the  circumstances  of  the  time  are  taken  into  account. 

In  1771),  a  school-mistress  was  employed, — the  first  in  town  ;  but 
the  name  of  the  lady  does  not  appear  upon  the  records. 

In  1782,  Mehitable  Hidden  began  service  as  a  teacher.  She 
was  a  resident  of  Boscawen,  living  on  Fish  street.  Of  her  sex,  hers 
is  the  first  name  on  the  record.  It  is  not  known  that  she  taught 
more  than  one  term.  Possibly  she  could  not  manage  the  roystering 
youths,  who  would  be  more  intent  upon  kicking  each  others'  shins, 
or  pulling  out  handfuls  of  hair,  than  in  giving  attention  to  study. 
It  was  not  in  the  nature  of  things  that  there  should  be  much 
conning  of  books,  for  few  of  the  scholars  were  in  possession  of  text- 
books, or  even  a  spelling-book.  One  reading-book  served  for  a  whole 
class.  Then  arose  a  teacher, — Rev.  Caleb  Bingham,  boi-n  in  Con- 
necticut, 1757,  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth,  1782,  and  established  a 
school  for  young  ladies  in  Boston,  1785, — who  felt  the  need  of 
school-books.  He  set  himself  to  work  to  provide  a  series,  and  is- 
sued six  in  all,  which  had  a  remarkable  sale.  The  '•'  Young  La- 
dies' Accidence  "  passed  through  twenty  editions,  and  there  were 
issued  not  less  than  one  hundred  thousand  copies.  Of  the 
"Child's  Companion,"  about  one  liundred  and  eighty  thousand 
copies  were  sold ;  of  the  "  American  Preceptor,"  six  hundred  and 
forty  thousand ;  of  the  "  Columbian  Orator,"  about  one  hundred 
and  ninety  thousand ;  of  the  "  Youthful  Catechism,"  one  hun- 
dred thousand  ;  of  "  Juvenile  Letters,"  twenty-five  thousand — in 
all,  one  million  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand.  Prior  to  the 
publication  of  these  volumes  there  were  no  school-ljooks  worthy 
the  name. 

Not  only  were  books  wanting,  but  school-houses.  Apartments 
in  private  houses  were  used.     There  were  no  desks,  and  the  seats 


1783. J  EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY.  281 

were  planks,  resting  on  blocks  of  wood,  without  backs  or  other 
support.  The  school-rooms  often  were  lighted  by  one  window 
only.  It  required  a  firm  hand  to  deal  with  sixty  or  more  stal- 
wart young  men. 

The  wonder  is,  that  any  womaii  had  the  courage  to  attempt  the 
task.  Quite  likely  the  citizens  did  not  consider  "  school-marms  " 
a  success,  for  no  other  female  name  appears  till  1791,  when  Miss 
Phebe  Knight,  a  young  lady  who  had  just  moved  into  town  from 
Newbury,  taught  the  school  on  Little  hill.  Tliat  she  was  a  suc- 
cessful teacher  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  she  continued  to  teach, 
till  her  marriage  to  Mr.  ISTicholas  Moody. 

From  that  day  to  the  present,  female  teachers  have  done  their 
full  share  in  educating  the  successive  generations.  During  the 
remaining  years  of  the  century,  the  ''school  dames"  were  Phebe 
Knight,  Lydia  Varney,  Mary  Thurston,  Mary  Stiekne}',  jSTabby 
Jackman,  Olive  Bakci-,  and  Sally  Gerrish. 

The  educators  of  a  community  occupy  a  responsible  "position. 
They  mold  character;  they  do  much  towards  making  or  marring 
the  future  man.  They  take  charge  of  the  mind  and  the  heart  at 
their  most  plastic  period.  They  are  mind-builders.  They  hold 
the  future  well-being  of  the  community  in  their  hands  ;  and  in  a 
history  of  a  town  which  has  moved  steadily  ujjward  to  a  higher 
plane  of  civilization  they  should  have  honorable  mention.  It 
has  not  been  possible,  however,  to  obtain  more  than  a  partial  list 
of  names.     Those  teaching  prior  to  the  year  1800  Avere, — 

1761.     Rev.  Mr.  Varney  [see  Civil  Hist.]. 

176G.     Eev.  Eobie  Morrill  [see  Biog.], 

1767.  Eev.  Nathaniel  Merrill  [see  Civil  Hist.]. 

1768.  Moses  Morse. 

1777.  Nathaniel  Atkinson. 

1778.  Mr.  Henry. 

Col.  Joseph  Gerrish  [see  Gen.]. 

1779.  A  school-mistress. 

1780.  Moses  Burbank. 
Jonathan  Atkinson. 

1782.  Mehitable  Hidden. 
Eichard  Morse. 

1783.  Jonathan  Thurston. 
James  Tillan. 


282  EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY.  [1790. 

1784.  Ephraim  Wood,  of  Lebanon,  on  King  st. 
Josiah  Burbauk,  on  Water  st. 

William  Fisk,  Putney  dist. 
Jonathan  Atkinson,  on  High  st. 
James  Tillan. 

1785.  Ephraim  Wood,  King  st. 
Josiah  Burbank,  Water  st. 
Master  Brown,  on  Corser  hill. 
Joseph  Wood,  Fish  st. 
William  Fisk. 

Tristram  Sayers,  Battle  st. 

1786.  Nathaniel  Knight,  King  st.  and  Water  st. 
Josiah  Burbank,  Battle  st. 

1787.  Eev.  Eobie  Morrill,  King  st. 
Master  Graham,  Water  st. 
Master  Carpenter. 

Nicholas  Elliot. 
Nathaniel  Knight. 
Ephraim  Wood. 
Somersby  Pearson. 
Daniel  Bm-bank. 
Master  Evans. 

The  last  named  was  from  Warner,  and  was  a  strict  disciplina- 
rian. 

SCHOOL    MONEY, 

"Lower  School  Dist  £20—  .5—  2 

Fish  st  (3—17—11 

Water  st  17—  1—11 

Corst-r  Hill  12—1.5—10 

Pleasant  st  5—19—  8 

West  of  Bliickwater  .5—14—  7 

Long  Pond  3—16—  4 

High  st  7—10—  4" 

1789.  Josiah  Burbank,  Corser  hill. 
Eliphalet  Little,  Battle  st. 

Enoch  Little,  Corser  hill  [see  Biog.]. 

Enoch  Little,  Putney. 

Joseph  Atkinson,  Water  st.  [see  Gen.]. 

1790.  Moses  Kelley,  King  st.,  of  Salisbury. 


1793.]  EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY.  283 

Master  Webber. 

1791.  Kev.  Robie  Morrill. 

Phebe  Knight  [see  Biog.],  Little  hill. 

Sally  Pearson,  of  B.,  High  st. 

Oliver  Davis,  Corser  hill,  of  Warner.  He  was  a  fine  bass  sing- 
er, and  sat  at  the  "  head  "  in  the  singers'  seats.  After  teaching 
many  years,  he  opened  a  store  in  the  house  now  occupied  by  Geo. 
Little. 

1792.  Hannah  Jackman,  King  st. 

Edmund  Carleton,  Water  st.  Born  in  Haverhill,  Mass.,  grad- 
uated Dartmouth,  physician  at  Haverhill,  N.  H.  Married  Anna, 
daughter  Capt.  Peter  C.  Coffin.  School  was  taught  in  the  north- 
west corner  room  of  Capt.  Coffin's  house,  Water  st.,  now  owned 
by  Mr.  Colby. 

Enoch  Little,  Little  hill. 

Mary  Thurston,  Little  hill. 

Oliver  Davis,  Corser  hill. 

Eufus  Anderson,  High  st.  He  was  father  of  Kev.  Rufus  An- 
derson, of  Boston,  for  many  years  secretary  of  American  Board  of 
Foreign  Missions. 

Lydia  Varney,  High  st. 

Somersby  Pearson,  Fish  st. 

Silas  Stickney. 

Stephen  Pottei*. 

Moses  Kclley,  of  Salisbury,  Corser  hill. 

Phebe  Knight,  White  Plain. 

(From  selectmen's  book.) 

"  Paid  Saml  Corser  for  use  of  school  room  16 — 6" 

The  first  appropriation  for  Bashan  was  made  this  year, — £2 
10s. 

"Paid  Daniel  Cass  for  the  use  of  "his  house  to  keep  school  in— 18 
shillings. 

"Paid  John  Jackman  for  boarding  School  Daim  South  end  Long 
Pond  1—4—0" 

The  names  of  Hannah  Jackman  and  Phebe  Knight  appear  as 
"  schoor  daims  "  the  first  after  Mehitajjle  Hidden  in  1782. 
1793.     Daniel  Burbank,  White  Plain. 
Mary  Thurston,  Little  hill. 


284  EDUCATIONAL   HISTORY.  [1797. 

Enoch  Little,  Little  hill. 
Oliver  Davis,  King  st. 
David  Quimby,  Fish  st. 

1794.  Mary  Stickney,  Little  Hill. 

Moses  Coffin,  Little  Hill.  He  resided  in  the  house  now  occu- 
pied by  Jabez  Abbott. 

Hannah  Little  [see  Gen.]. 
School  Dame  Foster. 
Daniel  Burbank. 

1795.  Ezra  Carter,  Corser  hill. 
Lydia  Varney. 

Oliver  Davis,  High  st. 

David  Qniniby. 

Mary  Stickney. 

Polly  Varney,  Little  hill. 

1796.  Oliver  Davis,  High  st. 
]S"abby  Jackman,  Water  st. 
Moses  Coffin. 

Lydia  Varney. 

1797.  Oliver  Davis,  King  st. 
Olive  Baker. 

David  Quimby,  Water  st. 

Nabby  Jackman,  North  Blackwater. 

Anna  Danforth,  Bashan. 

Moses  Thurston,  Little  hill.  He  taught  many  j^ears,  and  was 
known  through  life  as  "Master  Thurston."  He  was  a  severe 
discijilinarian.  One  of  his  instruments  for  maintaining  discipline 
was  a  leather  ferule,  composed  of  two  pieces  of  hammered  sole- 
leather,  with  sheet  lead  stitched  between  them.  On  one  side  he 
punched  four  holes,  on  the  other  five.  He  usually  asked  a  culprit 
which  he  would  have, — four  holes,  or  five.  If  the  trembling  urchin 
said  four.  Master  Thurston  usually  gave  this  reply  : 

"For  fear  of  making  a  mistake  I  will  give  you  both." 

Each  stroke  left  an  arraj'  of  blisters,  the  size  of  the  holes,  on  the 
aching  palms. 

He  taught  several  years  in  West  Salisbur3^  It  was  a  turbulent 
school,  and  it  i^sed  to  be  jocosely  said  that  the  surrounding  farms 
never  would  have  been  cleared  of  alders  if  Master  Thurston  had 
not  been  employed  as  teacher. 


1809.]  EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY.  285 

Sucli  severity  of  punishment  as  was  administered  by  Moses 
Thurston  was  a  part  of  the  system  of  the  time.  Not  every  master 
was  so  severe,  but  the  scholars  were  rude  and  turbulent,  and  a  mas- 
ter who  could  not  wield  the  ferule  stood  little  chance  of  success. 

1798.  Master  Evans,  King  st. 
Oliver  Davis,  Corser  liill. 
Lydia  Varney,  White  Plain. 
Nabby  Jackman,  Little  hill. 

1799.  David  Story,  Fish  st. 
Master  Howe,  King  st. 
Kufus  Anderson,  High  st. 
Master  Hoyt,  Water  st. 
Master  Sawyer,  Little  hill. 

Kev.  Moses  Sawyer,  of  Salisbury,  graduated  Dartmouth  col- 
lege, settled  in  Henniker,  and  in  Saugus,  Mass.,  died  in  Ipswich, 
Mass. 

Sally  Gerish,  Little  hill. 

Thomas  Shepard,  Putney. 

Lydia  Varney,  Corser  hill. 

David  Quimby,  N.  Water. 

Philip  Colby,  Corser  hill. 

THE    KEW    SCHOOL    LAAV. 

Not  till  1809  was  there  any  general  improvement  in  the  schools 
[see  p.  169].  The  appointment  of  a  superintending  committee, 
the  great  interest  taken  in  education  by  Eev.  Mr.  Wood,  Rev. 
Mr.  Price,  Ezekiel  Webster,  Nathaniel  Green,  and  others,  gave 
a  new  impetus  to  the  cause  of  education.  Select  schools  were 
taught  by  young  gentlemen  from  Dartmouth  college.  The  old 
theor}'-,  that  a  man  must  be  a  master,  gave  place  to  the  new  idea 
that  he  must  be  a  teacher.  Rewards  of  merit  were  found  to  be 
more  potent  than  the  ferule  to  stimulate  the  scholar.  There  was 
a  marked  improvement  during  the  second  and  third  decades  of 
the  century.  The  schools,  the  whole  community,  moved  to  a 
higher  plane. 

Under  the  new  law  the  schools  were  placed  under  the  control 
of  a  superintending  committee,  consisting  of  Rev.  Samuel  Wood, 
Rev.  Ebenezer  Price,  and  the  selectmen, — Stephen  Gerrish,  Jo- 
seph H.  Morrill,  and  Peletiah  Peaslee. 


286  EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY.  [1809. 

The  committee  voted  to  visit  tlie  schools  "  the  second  Tuesday 
after  their  commencement,  and  the  Tuesday  preceding  their  close, 
and  to  this  end  public  notice  shall  be  given  the  Sabbath  before 
such  visit." 

In  the  estimation  of  that  generation,  education  and  religion 
were  closely  allied.  Men  must  be  intelligent  to  be  good  citizens 
and  Christians. 

"  Voted  that  three  of  the  committee  (tliere  being  five)  shall  attend 
each  visit,  extraordinaries  excepted.  And  should  the  case  happen  that 
but  two,  or  one,  shall  be  able  to  attend,  after  such  public  notice,  it 
must  be  considered  as  the  proper  visit,  and  no  new  appointment  can  be 
made. 

"As  no  person  can  be  permitted  to  engage  in  a  school  without  certifi- 
cates of  his  or  her  qualifications  and  good  moral  character,  it  is  the 
united  opinion  of  this  committee  that  while  some  reputable  grammar 
school  master  and  minister  of  the  Gospel,  or  Preceptor  of  an  Academy, 
&c.,  certify  his  or  her  qualifications  in  the  various  branches  of  litera- 
ture, the  selectmen  are  the  proper  body  to  certify  the  Moral  character 
of  the  person;  and  we  shall  therefore  govern  ourselves  accordingly." 

The  first  visitation  of  the  committee  was  made  May  16,  1799, 
to  School  District  No.  6,  Little  hill. 

"  1809.     May  16.     No.  1. 

"  Tuesday,  the  committee  according  to  public  notice  visited  the 
school  district  No.  6  Little  Hill  under  the  care  of  Miss  Mary  Gerrish  32 
children.  Books,  Spelling  book.  Preceptor,  Geography,  Grammar, 
Bible  &  Catechism." 

The  catechism  of  the  Westminster  Assembly  of  Divines  was  as 
much  a  text-book  as  grammar.  It  was  found  in  the  New  Eng- 
land Primer. 

"  May  23'i  No  2 

"  Tuesday — visited  the  School  in  No  2  "Water  street  under  the 
care  of  Mrs  Sally  Martin,  35  children  Books,  Spelling  book  Preceptor, 
Geography,  1  in  Grammar  1  writer.  The  bible  not  used  &  catechism 
not  yet  introduced.     This  School  under  disadvantages. 

"  May  30  No  7. 

"  Tuesday  A.  M  visited  School  at  White  Plain  under  the  care  of  Miss 
Sally  Pillsbury,  25  children,  Books,  Spelling  book,  Testament  &  Cate- 
chism    The  scholars  young,  but  ambitious  &  very  observant  of  order. 

"No  3 

"  Same  day  A.  M.  visited  School  on  Corser  Hill  under  the  care  of 
Miss  Phebe  Thurston,  50  children  35  girls.     Books,  Columbiau  Ora- 


1809.]  EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY.  287 

tor,  Geography,  Testament  Catechism,  some  writers,  but  none  in  gram- 
mar. 

"May  31 

"  Visited  the  School  on  King  street  under  tlie  care  of  IMiss  Eunice 
Morrill  'M  cliihlren,  2-4  girls,  Spelling  book,  Preceptor,  Geog,  Gram- 
mar. Bible  catechism  some  writers. 

'•June  5  No  5.  Visited  the  School  on  Fish  street  under  the  care  of 
Miss  Apphia  Gerrish  13  children.  Books,  Three  in  Geog,  one  in  Gram- 
mar, Rest  in  Spelling,  Catechism  used  but  none  in  the  Bible.  This 
School  is  young  &  backwa<-d. 

"  No  4 

''  Same  day  visited  High  street  School  under  the  care  of  Miss  Betsey 
AVorcester  26  children.  Books — Spelling  Websters  3'^  Preceptor, 
Geog'y,  Bible,  Catechism,  1  in  grammar  mostly  young. 

"  June  13  No  9 

"  Visited  Long  Pond  School  under  the  care  of  Miss  Mary  Parker  37 
children  Books,  Spelling  B.  one  in  "Webster's  3''  P  &  one  in  the  Bible. 
No  Grammar,  Geog  y  or  Catechism — or  writers.  A  pleasant  num- 
ber of  schollars  who  have  been  under  the  disadvantages  of  poor  instruc- 
tors a  miserable  government  &  want  of  books. 

''Same  day  P  M  No  8 

''  Visited  Bashau  School,  under  the  care  of  Miss  Abigail  Allen  13 
children  Books,  Spelling  Bo.  Webster's  3  P  &  Catechism.  None  in 
Grammar  Geogy,  or  writing,  the  School  well  governed  &  the  children 
ambitious. 

"  This  day  the  committee  compleated  the  first  course  of  visits.  In 
them  they  have  endevored  to  ascertain  the  real  state  of  each  school  at 
its  commencement;  to  make  those  observations  &  propose  those  excite- 
ments to  the  children,  which  would  be  most  likely  to  jwomote  their  fu- 
ture improvement; — also  to  counsel  &  advise  the  several  Instructresses 
when  needed  to  that  government  &  mode  of  instruction  which  would 
be  most  useful. 

"  We  found  in  the  several  schools  268  children,  as  yet  not  accommo- 
dated with  suitable  school  books;  but  generally  well  provided  with 
capable  Instructresses  &  under  that  order  &  tuition  which  promises 
much  advantage  to  the  children  &  great  satisfaction  to  their  Parents 
&  at  once  shews  a  very  wise  aj^propriation  of  2")roperty  for  the  educa- 
tion of  children  under  the  sanction  of  law. 

Eben""  Price 

Scribe." 
These   were   summer  schools,  attended  only  by  tlie   youngest 
children.     It  will  be  noticed  that  arithmetic  is  not   mentioned 
among  the  text-books.     Mental  arithmetic  was  not  introduced  till 


288  EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY.  [1809. 

alDout  the  year  1830.  Its  introduction  produced  great  excite- 
ment. Many  of  the  parents  opposed  it,  on  the  ground  that  it 
would  confuse  the  minds  of  the  children,  and  would  lead  to  insan- 
ity !  The  geography  in  use  was  that  published  hy  Rev.  Jedediah 
Morse. 

The  winter  schools  were  attended  hy  the  boj^s,  who  in  summer 
were  obliged  to  work  on  the  farm.  Many  of  them  were  stalwart 
young  men.  A  true  view  of  the  state  of  education  at  the  time 
may  be  obtained  by  comparing  the  summ'er  and  winter  terms. 

WINTER    TERMS. 

"  Dec  4  'No  2 

"  Tuesday.  Visited  Water  street.  Jacob  Sanborn  Master  children 
43.  1  in  abK,  14  in  spelling  book,  11  in  Preceptor,  8  in  Geog,  12  writ- 
ers, 3  in  arithmetic  &  3  in  grammer.  The  Bible  not  introduced.  Good 
order  in  the  School  &  the  Master  well  recomended. 

"  Dec  5  No  9 

"  Visited  Long  Pond  School,  Charles  Parker  INIaster.  Children  32. 
Well  provided  with  suitable  books,  1  in  letters  3  in  2  syllables,  13  in 
easy  lessons  9  in  Preceptor  6  in  Geog,  2  parsed  Grammar,  1  in  arith- 
metic. The  Master  very  modest.  The  School  not  quite  reduced  to 
order. 

'•Dec  12  No  4 

"  Visited  lligli  street  James  Chadwick  master.  Children  30.  Some 
deficiency  in  books,  1  in  letters,  1  in  2  sylables,  2  in  plain  reading,  5  in 
3  sylables,  8  in  Preceptor  13  in  Geog,  14  writers,  1  in  Arithmetic  &  1 
parsed  English.     The  Master  very  easy  in  instruction  &  government. 

"  Sayne  dni/  No  5 

"  Visited  Fish  street  ]\Iiss  Mary  Eames  Instructress.  Children  16, 
1  in  Abs,  4  in  two  sylables,  2  in  plain  reading,  3  in  Preceptor,  6  in 
Geog,  1  in  Grammar,  6  writers,  &  1  in  Arit!  metic.  None  in  the  Bible. 
The  scliool  not  yet  organized,  the  School  Mistress  capable. 

"Dec  19  No  1 

"  Visited  King  street  School.  58  children,  Enoch  Corser  Master. 
The  School  not  quite  organized,  24  read  in  Geog  well  except  7,  19  in 
Preceptor  generally  backward.  The  above  43  read  Bible  once  a  day,  4 
in  three  sylables  dull,  3  parsed  correctly  &  2  beginners,  26  writers 
mostly  good,  &  5  in  Arithmetic  forward. 

''  Dec20  No  8 

"  Visited  Bashan  School:  20  children  Dan'  Smith  Master.  The 
School  not  as  yet  formed  to  order,  10  writers  very  good,  2  in  abs,  1  in 
monosylables,  2  in  three  sylables,  1  ditto  better,  2  in  2  sylables  &  very 


1827.]  EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY.  289 

well,  1  read  the  Hist  of  Indian  Wars  acceptably,  2  in  Preceptor  new 
Schollars  &  backward,  4  in  English  reader  too  fast,  4  in  the  Art  of 
Reading  well — 1  committing  grammar  &  2  parsed  accurately,  none  in 
Arithmetic.     The  Master's  deportment  good. 
"  Jan  15  No  3 

"  Visited  School  Corser  Hill  61  children  20  girls  41  boys,  Benjamin 
Gookin  Master. 

1^'  Class  15  in  Geog. 

2^1    C         6  in  Webster  3  P. 

31    C         12  in  Preceptor. 

4'h  C         4  in  Testament. 

5"^  C         11  in  Spelling,  4  Syl.  well. 

6">  C         9  in  4  sylables 

1  in  2  sylables 

2  in  letters 

20  writers,  10  in  arith  &  3  in  Grammar.     School   well   arranged   & 
governed. 

"  Feb  14"!  No  6 

"  Visited  School  Little  Hill  .52  Schol.     Well  arranged  in  a  new  & 
commodious  School  house  under  the  care  of  Mr  Smith 
1  class  3  in  2  sylables 
4  in  3       " 

4  in  Poetical  lessons  Spell  B.  well. 
10  in  Preceptor 
4  in  English  Reader — well 
27  in  Geog — some  too  fast,  others  slow. 
17  parsed  grammar. 

33  Spelt  in  Dict'y,  Girls  better  than  boys 
4  in  Arithmetic. 
26  in  writing. 
This  School  promises  fair. 
"  Feb  9  No  10 

"  Visited  this  School  under  the  care  of  Mrs  Sally  Martin  16  children 
This  School  is  backward,  being  quite  a  new  District,  but  well  arranged 
&  very  ambitious." 

SUMMARY. 

"Your  Committee  are  presented  with  a  very  pleasing  prospect,  in 
the  recommendment  of  the  several  Schools  in  town  in  the  winter  term- 
There  are  two  Instructresses  and  seven  Instructors  whose  qualifica- 
tions are  very  apparent  in  the  order  &  arrangement  of  the  schollars  as 
well  as  in  the  variety  of  studies  introduced. 

"  In  those  schools  where    books   were  very  deficient  now  a  good 
supply  of  new  &  suitable  books  are  introduced. 
19 


290  EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY,  [1829. 

"  We  observe  a  change  of  schollars,  many  young  men  &  women  in 
the  pLace  of  Smaller  ones  who  cannot  attend.  In  this  course  of  visits 
■we  have  room  to  believe  the  winter  term  will  be  satisfactory  to  the  dis- 
tricts &  greatly  to  the  advantage  of  schollars  both  great  &  small." 

The  reports  of  the  superintending  committee  from  year  to  year 
show  a  marked  progress.  Arithmetic  becomes  a  fundamental 
study.  Morse's  Geography,  instead  of  being  a  reading-book,  is 
used  as  a  separate  study.  The  "English  Reader"  takes  the  place 
of  the  American  Preceptor.  The  Catechism  disappears.  The , 
Englisli  Reader,  Thomson's  Seasons,  Young's  Night  Thoughts, 
and  Paradise  Lost,  become  "  parsing  books." 

During  the  second  and  third  decades  of  the  present  century, 
"  select "  schools  were  kept  on  Corser  hill.  Little  hill,  and  the 
Plain.  Students  from  Dartmouth  college  were  usually  employed. 
Thus  gradually  the  plane  of  education  advanced. 

BOSCAWEN    ACADEMY. 

The  need  of  permanent  educational  facilities  of  a  higher  grade 
was  keenly  felt,  and  measures  were  taken  to  establish  an  acade- 
m^^  The  sum  of  $1,136  was  subscribed  for  the  erection  of  a 
suitable  building.  Joseph  Chadwick  gave  tlie  land  upon  which 
the  building  was  erected,  conveying  it  to  the  following  named 
gentlemen,  who  had  consented  to  act  as  trustees  :  Rev.  Samuel 
Wood,  Rev.  Ebenezer  Price,  John  Gi^eenough,  Henrj^  Gerrish, 
Isaac  Gerrish,  Thomas  Coffin,  Hezekiah  Fellows,  Simeon  B.  Little, 
John  Parmer; 

March  29,  1827.  At  a  meeting  of  the  trustees,  it  was  voted  to 
apply  to  the  legislature  for  an  act  of  incorporation.  Academy 
building  was  erected  during  the  year.  Rev.  Dr.  Wood,  beside 
making  a  generous  donation,  gave  the  shingles  covering  it, — 
shaved  by  his  own  hands. 

The  bell  was  the  gift  of  Daniel  Webster.  Ezekiel  Webster 
gave  liberally  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  the  building,  which 
was  erected  by  Capt.  William  Abbot. 

The  school  went  into  operation  the  last  Wednesday  in  April, 
1828,  Miss  Sarah  Crocker,  j^receptress,  whose  compensation  was 
$3.50  per  week. 

Feb.  11,  1829.  The  trustees  voted  that  the  committee  proffer 
an  instructor  $150,  and  the  tuition  of  the  male  dej^artment.    The 


1856.]  EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY.  291 

committee  made  a  contract  with  Mr.  Jarvis  Gregg  as  Principal 
for  four  3'ears  on  the  above  terms,  the  tuition  being  fixed  at  $3  a 
quarter, — he  providing  fuel  and  his  own  board. 

Eev.  Mr.  Wood,  Eev.  Mr.  Price,  and  Ezekiel  Webster,  Esq., 
were  chosen  a  committee  to  fix  upon  the  solid  branches  of  learn- 
ing. 

Oct.  28,  Voted,  that  the  approbation  of  the  trustees  be  given 
to  Miss  Crocker,  at  the  close  of  the  public  examination,  and  that 
it  be  conveyed  to  her  in  writing. 

Miss  Crocker  tauglit  a  female  department  in  the  spring  of  1828. 
The  male  department  was  opened  by  Mr.  Gregg  in  either  the  sum- 
mer or  fall  term, — tliere  being  two  terms  during  the  year.  The 
number  of  pupils  during  the  term  was  eighty-six. 

Jan.  19,  1829.  The  trustees  voted  unanimously,  "  that  the 
thanks  of  the  Board  be  presented  to  the  Hon.  Daniel  Webster  for 
his  very  generous  donation  of  a  suitable  bell  for  our  academy,  and 
that  the  President  communicate  the  same  in  the  manner  he  shall 
deem  the  most  respectful." 

In  1830,  Mr.  Gregg  was  released  from  his  contract,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Mr.  Charles  Kittredge. 

LIST    OF    IICSTRUCTORS. 

1828.  Miss  Sarah  Crocker. 

1829.  Jarvis  Gregg. 

1830-32.     Charles  Kittredge,  Miss  Sarah  Crocker. 

1833.  Miss  Parker. 

1834.  Miss  Axtell. 

1835.  Mr.  Breed  Batchelder. 

1836.  Mr.  Breed  Batchelder,  Miss  Sarah  Poster. 

1837.  Miss  Gray. 

1838.  Mr.  Nathan  Ballard. 

1840.  Joseph  L.  Lord. 

1841.     Spaulding. 

1856.     Jonathan  Tenney. 

The  trustees,  in  1856,  voted  to  loan  the  building  to  Mr.  Tenney 
for  a  term  of  twenty  j^ears,  the  lessee  having  the  right  to  make 
such  alterations  in  the  building  as  he  might  deem  necessary.  Ex- 
tensive alterations  were   made,  and   the    school   became  widely 


292  EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY.  [1872. 

known  as  the  Elmwood  Institute.  In  18G8  the  lease  was  can- 
celled by  mutual  agreement. 

In  1870,  the  building  was  rented  by  the  trustees  to  School  Dis- 
trict No.  1,  on  annual  rental  of  $125.  In  1872,  it  was  voted  that 
'^  in  the  opinion  of  the  trustees  it  is  for  the  interest  of  all  concerned 
that  the  academy  building  and  grounds  be  disposed  of,  the  avails 
invested,  and  the  increase  appropriated  for  educational  purposes. 

''  Voted  to  sell  the  building  and  grounds  for  $2000,  with  the 
condition  that  the  bell  shall  not  be  disposed  of,  but  kept  in  the 
building  as  at  present." 

The  funds  thus  obtained  were  invested  in  1874  in  the  Penacook 
Savings  Bank,  the  principal  never  to  be  Avithdrawn  without  the 
consent  of  a  majority  of  the  district. 

PENACOOK    ACADEMY. 

The  citizens  of  Fisherville,  feeling  the  need  of  better  educa- 
tional privileges  than  those  furnished  by  the  towns,  in  the  winter 
of  18GG  established  the  Penacook  Academy. 

The  first  meeting  for  organization  was  held  January  26.  The 
following  week  the  stockholders  voted  to  proceed  with  the  erection 
of  suitable  buildings.  Hon.  William  H.  Gage  generously  con- 
tributed a  large  lot  of  land. 

The  school  was  ojiened  November  6,  the  same  year.  The 
first  board  of  instruction  consisted  of  M.  Weed,  A.  M.,  Mrs. 
Mary  A.  W^eed,  and  Miss  Eliza  T.  Moore.  Prof.  Weed  died 
June  28,  1867,  and  was  succeeded  by  A.  C.  Stockin,  A.  m.,  who 
was  succeeded  in  the  spring  of  1869  by  J.  F.  Fielding,  A.  m.  In 
the  summer  of  1870,  Hiram  B.  Lawrence,  A.  m.,  was  elected  prin. 
cipal.  Prof.  E.  C.  Allen  succeeded  to  the  principalship  in  the  fall 
of  1872.  In  the  spring  of  1875,  A.  C.  Hardy,  A.  m.,  took  charge 
of  the  school,  changing  its  name,  to  specify  its  design  and  plan^ 
to  Penacook  Normal  Academy.  Its  curriculum  was  made  very 
much  broader,  and  the  course  of  study  greatly  enlarged;  and  the 
academy  was  put  upon  a  footing  that  made  it  the  peer  of  any 
school  of  its  class  in  New  England.  The  school  was  arranged  in 
five  departments, — Preparatory,  Normal,  Business,  Scientific,  and 
Classical.  The  board  of  instruction  was  enlarged  from  three  to 
nine.     Competent  teachers  were  employed. 

Thus,  by  the  liberality  and  energetic  action  of  the  trustees  of 


< 

o 

o 


flH 


1712.]  EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY,  293 

the  institution,  the  people  are  in  the  enjoyment  of  superior  edu- 
cational 2>rivileges. 

MUSICAL    EDUCATION. 

The  education  of  a  community  does  not  embrace  merely  those 
branches  of  learning  taught  in  the  public  schools  and  academies  : 
it  includes  the  general  culture  of  the  communit}', — the  advance- 
ment of  art.  Music  has  been  classed  in  times  past  as  one  of  the 
"  fine"  or  '•polite  "  arts,  but  in  these  later  days  it  has  come  to  be 
recognized  as  a  branch  of  general  education. 

Previous  to  the  present  century,  music  had  made  little  progress  in 
America.  The  Pilgrims  brought  with  them  Ainsworth's  Version 
of  the  Psalms,  which  was  used  in  the  church  at  Plymouth  from 
1620  to  1732.  The  Psalms,  as  translated  by  the  divines  sum- 
moned by  King  James,  and  the  paraphrase  as  made  by  Ains- 
worth,  were  printed  in  pai'allel  columns.  The  first  Psalm  was 
thus  rendered : 


King  James's  Version. 
Psahn  I. 

"  Blessed  is  the  man  that  doeth 
not  walk  in  the  Counsell  of  the 
wicked  ;  nor  Stand  in  the  way  of 
Sinners;  nor  sit  in  the  seat  of  the 
scornfull. 

"  2  J5ut  hath  his  delight  in  the 
law  of  Icdiovah  and  in  his  law 
doeth  meditate  day  &  night.'" 


Ainsworth's  Paraphrase. 
Psalm  I. 

"10  Blessed  that  doth  not  in 
the  wicked's  counsell  walk;  nor 
stand  in  sinner's  way;  nor  sit 
in  the  seat  of  scornfull  folk. 

2  But  setteth  in  Jehovah's  law, 
his  pleasureful  delight;  And  in 
his  law  doth  meditate  by  day  & 
eke  by  night." 


In  1640  the  Bay  State  Psalm  Book  was  published,  which  was 
in  use  for  more  than  a  century.  The  metrical  structure  of  the 
Psalms  was  nearly  the  same  as  in  AinsAvorth.  The  133d  was 
thus  rendered  : 

''  1  How  good  and  sweet  to  see 
it's  for  brethren  to  dwell 
together  in  uuitee: 

"  2  It's  like  choice  oyle  that  fell 
the  head  upon, 
that  downe  did  flow 
the  beard  unto 
beard  of  Aron : 


294  EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY.  [1712. 

The  skirts  of  his  garment 
that  unto  them  went  down. 

"  3  Like  Herman's  dews  descent 
Sion's  mountains  upon, 
for  there  to  bee 

the  Lord's  blessing 

life  aye  lasting 
commandeth  hee." 

This  book  Avas  a  great  favorite.  It  was  revised  and  reprinted, 
in  1758,  Ly  Eev.  Thomas  Prince,  pastor  of  the  Old  South  Church, 
Boston ;  and  it  is  almost  certain  that  the  first  settlers  of  Boscawen 
were  accustomed  to  sing  such  poetry  in  their  Sunday  service. 

It  is  probable  that  those  who  came  to  Contoocook  from  New- 
bury were  acquainted  with  Eev.  Mr.  Tufts's  music-book,  as  Mr. 
Tufts  was  pastor  of  the  Second  church  in  ISTewbury,  and  in  1712 
published  a  book  containing  twenty-eight  tunes  with  rules.  It 
bore  the  following  title  : 

"  A  very  plain  and  Easy  Introduction  to  the  Art  of  Singing  Psalm 
Tunes;  With  the  Cantus  or  Trebles  of  Twenty-eight  Psalm  Times  Con- 
trived in  such  manners  as  tliat  the  Learner  may  attain  the  Skill  of 
Singing  them,  with  the  greatest  Ease  and  Speed  imaginable." 

Instead  of  notes,  the  first  letter  of  each  syllable  was  printed  on 
the  staffs,— f  for/«,  1  for  la.  People  sang  by  rote,  and  in  conse- 
quence the  melodies  underwent  many  transformations. 

Rev.  Mr.  Walters,  a  Avriter  of  tlie  period,  thus  portrays  the 
singing  of  his  time  : 

"  Singing  sounds  like  five  hundred  different  tunes  roared  out  at  the 
same  time.  The  singers  often  are  two  words  apart,  producing  noises 
so  hideous  and  disorderly  as  is  bad  beyond  expression.  The  notes  are 
prolonged  so  that  I  myself  have  twice  in  one  note  paused  to  take 
breath." 

As  there  were  no  rules,  all  sang  as  they  pleased,  without  regard 
to  time.  Some  of  the  ministers  saw  that  a  reform  was  impera- 
^tive ;  that  to  have  anything  like  uniformity  in  singing,  there 
must  be  rules  governing  the  rhythm  and  regulating  the  time ; 
that  people  must  learn  to  sing  by  rule  instead  of  by  rote.  Eev. 
Mr.  Tufts,  Eev.  Cotton  Mather,  of  Boston,  and  Eev.  Mr.  Walters, 
were  zealous  advocates  for  a  reform.     The  attempt  to  bring  about 


1770.]  EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY.  295 

a  new  order  of  things  produced  great  disturbance,  and  the  excite- 
ment was  at  its  height  at  the  time  the  settlers  of  Contoocook  be- 
gan their  plantation.  Ministers  and  people  alike  took  sides  upon 
the  all-important  question,  the  young  people  advocating  a  reform, 
and  the  old  ones  opposing  it.  Various  were  their  objections.  It 
was  a  new  way  ;  it  was  not  as  good  as  the  old  way :  there  were  so 
many  tunes  in  Rev.  Mr.  Tufts's  book — twenty-eight — that  no  one 
could  ever  learn  them.  The  new  way  would  make  a  disturbance 
in  the  churches.  It  grieved  good  men,  exasperated  them,  and 
made  them  behave  in  a  disorderly  manner.  The  new  way  was 
popish  ;  it  would  lead  to  the  introduction  of  instruments.  The 
names  of  the  notes,  fa,  sol,  la,  were  blasphemous  !  The  old  way 
was  good  enough ;  the  new  way  was  a  contrivance  for  designing 
jiersons  to  obtain  money.  The  new  way  required  a  great  deal  of 
time  to  learn  the  rules ;  it  made  the  young  disorderly ;  it  kept 
them  from  proper  influences  in  the  family. 

These  and  many  other  equally  weighty  objections  to  Mr. 
Tufts's  method  were  gravely  set  forth  in  sermons  preached  by  the 
conservative  ministers  of  the  old  school, — for  in  those  days,  as  now, 
and  as  will  be  to  the  end  of  time,  there  Avere  the  old  and  the  new 
schools. 

The  first  settlers  of  Boscawen  sang  psalms.  Not  till  a  later 
day  was  there  hymnology.  In  1741,  seven  years  after  the  settle- 
ment of  Contoocook,  Benjamin  Franklin  published  an  edition  of 
Watts's  Psalms  and  Hymns.  About  the  same  time  Tait  &  Brady's 
''Book  of  Psalms  &  Metre  "  was  published. 

In  1764,  Josiah  Flagg,  of  Boston,  published  a  book  containing 
one  hundred  and  sixteen  tunes  and  two  anthems, — the  first  book 
printed  in  America  with  the  music  in  four  parts. 

In  1770,  Mr.  Billings  published  his  first  book,  which  became 
very  popular.  From  that  date  to  1820  the  musical  compositions 
were  in  the  style  of  Billings,  Holden,  Swan,  and  Reed. 

The  first  settlers  of  Boscawen  knew  very  little  in  regard  to 
music.  It  is  probable  that  the  best  singer  among  them  could  not 
sing  more  than  a  dozen  tunes,  the  Old  Hundredth  and  Windham 
being  two  of  the  number. 

We  may  think  of  Dea.  George  Jackman,  or  Dea.  Jesse  Flan- 
ders, as  sitting  in  front  of  the  pulpit  in  the  old  log  meeting-house, 
and  reading  a  line  of  Ainsworth's  Paraphrase,  and  the  congre- 


296  EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY.  [1807. 

gation  singing  it — the  air.  That  finished,  a  second  line  is  read 
and   sung,  and  so  on  through  the  psalm. 

During  the  closing  decade  of  the  last  century,  hymn-books  were 
introduced,  and  with  them  came  the  bass-viol  and  other  instru- 
ments. Those  who  opposed  the  new  method  introduced  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Tufts,  argued  correctly  in  regard  to  the  use  of  instruments. 
Before  the  introduction  of  the  viols,  a  pitch-pipe  was  used  for 
"setting"  the  tune.  The  introduction  of  stringed  and  wind 
instruments  produced  a  second  excitement  akin  to  that  which 
agitated  the  churches  a  half  century  previous.  Those  who  had 
the  hardihood  to  play  a  viol  were  contemptuously  called  "fiddlers." 
An  eccentric  citizen.  Doctor  Eaton,  a  veterinary  practitioner,  who 
lived  in  the  "  Hollow,"  never  became  reconciled  to  their  use.  He 
called  them  wooden  and  catgut  gods, — and  they  who  used  them 
were  serving  the  devil ! 

The  first  teacher  of  music  in  Boscawen,  probably,  was  Dea. 
Enoch  Little,  whose  efforts  in  that  direction  are  set  forth  in 
another  place  [see  Biog.].  Soon  after,  about  1795,  Master  Elagg, 
teacher  in  the  common  schools,  taught  singing  on  the  Plain. 
Master  Buell  was  another  teacher  of  music. 

BOSCAWEN    MUSICAL    SOCIETY. 

At  the  close  of  the  last  century,  or  at  the  very  beginning  of  the 
present,  the  Boscawen  Musical  Society  was  formed.  It  was  in 
existence  in  1801,  as  we  know  from  an  order  given  on  the  treasurer, 
Mr.  Jeremiah  Gerrish  : 

"  Boscawen,  Jan.  29th,  1801. 
Mr.  Jeremiah  Gerrish 

Treasurer  for  Boscawen  Musical  Society.  Please  to  pay  Mr.  Som- 
ersby  Pearson  two  dollars  &  fifty-eight  cents  for  Bass  viol  strings  & 
Clarrinet  Reed. 

Joshua  Morse, 

for  Comittee  " 

In  1807  the  society  appears  to  have  been  in  a  flourishing  condi- 
tion. Thomas  Cox  was  employed  to  instruct  the  members  in 
singing. 

"  Boscawen  Feb.  25,  1S08 
Lt  Jeremiah  Gerrish  Treasurer  for  Boscawen  Musical  Society  please 


1809.]  EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY.  297 

to  pay  Thomas  Cox  Twenty  Eight  dolhxrs  for  teaching  a  singing  school 

and  tax  on  Singing  Books. 

Soraersby  Pearsons 

Beiij  Clark  [•  Com." 

Joshua  Morse  ) 

Two  of  the  members  of  the  society  were  Daniel  and  Ezekiel 
Webster :  both  contributed  to  the  funds.  Daniel  purchased  a 
bassoon,  and  waited  a  long  while  for  his  pay,  as  will  be  seen  by 
the  following  paper : 

OROER. 

"Lieut  J  Gerrish  Treas  of  tlie  IMnsical  Society  in  Boscawen  please  to 
pay  Mr  Daniel  Webster  Esq,  thirty-four  Dollars  a  compen.^ation  for  a 
Bazoon  by  order. 

Somersby  Pearson ") 
Joshua  Morse  >  Com." 

Benj  Clark  ) 

"  May  21st  1807 
Reced  Twenty-three  Dollars  on  this  order 

D.  Webster" 
*'  January  18,  1811     Reed  of  Lt  Jere  Gerrish  eleven  dollars  in  full  on 
this  order. 

E  Webster  for 
D.  AVebster." 

In  1810  we  find  Ezekiel  Webster  one  of  the  committee  of  man- 
agement, as  per  the  following  order  : 

ORDER. 

"  Lt  Jeremiah  Gerrish  Treasurer  of  the  Boscawen  Musical  society. 
Sir,  Please  to  pay  Samuel  W.  Lang  Twelve  dollars  out  of  the  funds  of 
the  society  it  being  for  cash  paid  by  him  for  Clarionett. 

Somersby  Pearson  ^ 
Ezekiel  Webster     I  ^°'^^" 

In  1809,  Mr.  Joseph  S.  Garman  was  employed  to  teach  singing- 
school,  and  the  society  purchased  of  him  a  bass-viol,  paying  $14. 
In  1812,  John  Kinney  was  instructor,  and  in  1815,  Moses  Win- 
gate.  The  funds  of  the  society  were  obtained  by  annual  tax  and 
subscription. 

Under  this  organization  singing  greatly  improved.  The  "  Vil- 
lage Harmony  "  was  the  book  generally  used.  At  the  west  end, 
under  the  energetic  leadership  of  Dea.  Enoch  Little,  followed  by 


298  EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY.  [1821. 

Joseph  Kimloall  and  Samuel  Little,  musical  culture  had  a  rapid 
advance.  Isaac  Noyes,  living  on  Water  st.,  hut  attending  meet- 
ing at  the  west  end,  hecame  a  proficient  on  the  hass-viol.  The 
choir  under  Dea.  Little  numhered  ahout  sixty.  David  S^Yeatt, 
still  living,  remembers  a  meeting  of  the  choir  on  Corscr  hill,  and 
the  singing  of  a  select  piece, — 

"  Lord,  what  is  man, — poor  feeble  raau, 
Born  of  the  earth  at  first V 
His  life's  a  dream,  an  empty  show, 
Still  hastening  to  the  dust." 

It  was  the  best  singing  he  ever  heard. 

Musical  culture  was  advancing  throughout  the  state.  Rev.  Dr. 
McFarland,  of  Concord,  took  great  interest  in  its  advancement, 
and  through  his  instrumentality  the  "  Central  Musical  Society " 
was  formed,  composed  of  the  best  singers  and  instrumental  per- 
formers in  Concord,  Boscawen,  Hopkinton,  Dunbarton,  and  ad- 
joining towns. 

MARTIX    LUTHER    SOCIETY. 

On  Dec.  4,  1S21,  the  prominent  singers  of  the  town  met  at  the 
house  of  Benj.  T.  Kimball,  on  Water  street,  and  organized  a  soci- 
ety for  the  cultivation  of  music  of  a  higher  order  than  had  been 
attempted  up  to  that  time.  The  leading  spirits  in  the  enterprise 
were  Benj.  T.  Kimball,  Dr.  John  Rogers,  Capt.  J.  C.  Plummer, 
Henry  Little,  S.  B.  Little,  Henry  Little,  Jr.,  Enoch  Little,  Stephen 
Sweat,  Benj.  Morrill,  Nathaniel  Morrill,  Jeremiah  Gerrish,  of  Bos- 
cawen, and  Wm.  G.  Emerson.  They  applied  for  an  act  of  incorpo- 
ration, which  was  granted  July  3, 1822.  Dr.  John  Rogers,  a  prom- 
inent physician,  was  elected  president  and  leader.  The  society 
purchased  the  "  Old  Colony  Collection  of  Anthems,"  the  "  Handel 
and  Haydn  Collection,"  and  the  "  Social  Harmony," — collections 
containing  music  of  a  high  order  from  Handel,  Haydn,  Mozart, 
Beethoven,  and  an  oratorio,  "  The  Intercession,"  by  King.  The 
music  required  a  much  higher  degree  of  culture  than  the  music 
of  b^^-gone  da3's.  Under  the  able  leadership  of  Dr.  Rogers  the 
society  made  great  progress,  and  soon  brought  about  a  revolution 
in  the  style  of  music  used  on  the  Sabbath.  The  fugues,  that  for  a 
third  of  a  century  had  been  the  delight  of  the  people,  gave  place  to 


1833.]  EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY.  299 

compositions  richer  in  liarmony, — tlie  productions  of  the  masters 
whose  compositions  still  have  power  to  charm  the  human  ear. 

From  1822  to  1830  the  society  maintained  its  vigor.  It  num- 
bered about  fifty  members,  male  and  fernale.  It  was  reorganized 
in  1837,  at  the  house  of  Alonzo  C.  Chadwick,  who  was  elected  pres- 
ident, and  who  was  succeeded  by  J.  H.  Coffin,  now  of  Portland ; 
but  emigration  was  telling  upon  the  community,  and  other  forces 
were  at  work  to  disintegrate  the  society,  and  the  members,  after  a 
wliile,  ceased  to  meet. 

The  bassoon  jJ^n'chased  by  Daniel  Webster,  the  bass-viol  by 
Ezekiel  Webster  and  Joshua  Morse,  from  the  old  Boscawen  so- 
ciety, were  handed  down  to  this  organization,  and  quite  likely  may 
still  be  in  existence  in  some  garret. 

During  the  tAvo  decades, — 1820  to  1840, — the  choirs  in  town 
were  accompanied  by  a  variety  of  stringed  and  wind  instruments 
— bass  and  double-bass  viols,  violins,  flutes,  clarionettes,  bugles, 
and  French  horns. 

At  the  east  end,  John  Jackman,  Dr.  John  Rogers,  Alonzo  C. 
Chadwick,  and  Charles  J.  Chadwick  played  the  viols,  Jacob  Gerrish 
the  flute,  J.  H.  Coffin  the  trombone,  which  Eev.  Mr.  Price,  not 
for  the  moment  remembering  the  name,  once  appropriately^  called 
a  "  shoveration." 

At  the  west  end,  Moses  Thurston,  Henry  Little,  Frederick 
Price,  F.  W.  Coffin,  and  Enoch  Coffin  were  violists,  Sullivan 
Jackman  played  the  bugle,  Moses  Bailey,  M.  G.  Farmer,  and 
Bitfield  P.  Little  clarionettes. 

In  1837,  at  the  installation  of  Eev.  E.  Buxton,  J.  H.  Coffin 
played  a  melodeon,  an  instrument  moved  by  the  arm,  just 
then  invented,  manufactured  by  Charles  Austin,  of  Concord,  who 
also  began  the  manufacture  of  seraphines.  Dea.  Jeremiah  Gerrish, 
long  the.  leader  of  the  choir,  an  ardent  lover  of  music,  purchased 
the  first  instrument  of  this  class  maniifactured  in  America.  Miss 
Polly  L.  Gerrish,  his  daughter,  endowed  in  a  remarkable  degree 
with  musical  genius,  soon  became  an  efficient  and  cultivated 
player.  The  introduction  of  this  instrument  soon  led  to  the 
purchasing  of  one  of  greater  power  for  the  choir,  supplemented 
at  a  still  later  date  by  the  instrument  now  in  use. 

In  1833,  E".  D.  Gould,  of  Boston,  taught  a  juvenile  school  at 
the  academy,  also  one  for  adults.     He  was  a  composer  as  well  as 


300  EDUCATIONAL    HISTORY.  [1850. 

teacher,  and  some  of  his  contributions  are  still  in  use, — especially 
the  tune  '"  Woodland,"  to  the  words, — 

"  There  is  a  home  for  weary  souls, 
By  sin  and  sorrow  driven  : 
When  tossed  on  life's  tempestuous  shoals, 
Where  storms  arise  and  ocean  rolls, 
There's  nothing  true  but  heaven." 

The  refined  taste  of  Dea.  Gould  had  a  marked  influence  upon 
the  singers  of  the  period. 

At  the  east  end,  Prof.  John  Jackman,  at  an  early  date,  ob- 
tained a  "seraphine."  In  1840,  Benjamin  Morrill  began  the 
manufacture  of  musical  instruments  in  the  house  now  occupied 
by  Charles  E.  Chadwick. 

The  same  year  the  choir  at  the  west  end  employed  Wm.  D. 
Buck, — then  of  Concord,  later,  physician  at  Manchester, — to  teach 
.music.  He  was  an  energetic  instructor,  an  organist,  and  far  bet- 
ter acquainted  with  the  science  of  music  than  any  one  that  had 
preceded  him.  He  taught,  also,  at  the  west  end  in  1841,  and  at 
the  same  time  at  the  cast  end.  He  introduced  the  "  Boston  Acad- 
emy" collection  of  sacred  music,  and  established  the  choirs  in  both 
churches  on  a  new  foundation.  He  was  followed  at  the  east  end 
by  J.  C.  Cram,  and  other  teachers,  while  at  the  west  end,  or  at 
Bashan,  Enoch  Coflfin,  Enoch  Little,  J.  P.  Farmer,  Jeremiah  Kun- 
nels,  and  C.  C.  Coffin  taught,  followed,  in  later  years,  by  James  L. 
Gerrish  and  Henry  Pearson.  At  the  east  end,  Prof.  John  Jack- 
man  has  supplemented  the  labors  of  his  jiredecessors. 

From  1840  to  1850,  several  of  the  singers  of  Boscawen  attend- 
ed the  annual  sessions  of  the  Boston  Academy  of  Music. 

In  musical  culture  Boscawen  and  Webster  have  ever  maintain- 
ed high  rank.  The  impetus  given  by  Dea.  Enoch  Little,  from 
1790  to  1800,  never  has  lost  its  force.  Successive  leaders  have 
lighted,  as  it  were,  their  torches  by  the  fire  kindled  by  him,  in 
the  house  of  Henry  L.  Dodge,  nearly  a  century  ago,  and  given 
to  the  towns  a  standing  in  musical  culture  unequalled  by  any 
other  rural  community. 


?»»<-„ 


4* 


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^f!-" 


/7?i^' 


BIOGEAPHIOAL  HISTOET- 


HE  men  wlio  lay  the  foundation  of  society,  and  tliose  wlio 
rear  the  superstructure  of  a  Christian  civilization,  are  worthy 
of  all  honor.  In  all  ages,  in  every  land,  by  every  people,  they 
who  do  great  things  for  their  fellow-men  are  held  in  honorable  re- 
membrance. The  Assyrians  placed  their  heroes  in  the  heavens, 
enthroning  them  amid  the  stars.  We  behold  their  warrior  Nimrod, 
the  Orion  of  the  Bible,  nightly  making  the  circuit  of  the  heavens, 
the  briglitest  constellation  of  the  northern  sky.  The  Greeks 
found  j)laces  for  their  heroes  in  the  Pantheon,  amid  the  gods. 
The  people  of  China  guard  with  reverential  care  the  halls  of  their 
ancestors,  and,  in  their  reachings  after  immortality,  picture  to 
themselves  the  filial  devotion  of  dutiful  sons,  who  will  rear  tablets 
to  their  memory  in  the  halls  of  their  fathers.  It  will  be  the  con- 
summation of  eternal  bliss  to  be  held  in  remembrance  by  their 
sons  for  their  virtuous  acts.  The  Norsemen  pictured  to  them- 
selves a  Valhalla,  where  the  great  and  good  should  live  forever. 
And,  to-day,  Germany  rears  her  Hall  of  Fame,  where  those  who 
have  served,  their  country  well  shall  be  forever  held  in  remem- 
brance. So  we  rear  our  memorial  structure  to  commemorate  the 
dead. 

The  recital  of  what  men  have  done  for  their  fellow-men  is  ever 
an  incentive  to  right  action,  and  the  narration  of  the  events  of  an 
honorable  and  virtuous  life  is  a  stimulus  to  those  still  toiling 
along  the  weary  way.  So  we  make  record  of  those  who  have  hon- 
ored the  town  that  gave  them  birth,  or  that  may  claim  them  as  her 
sons.  Only  brief  outlines  of  their  lives  can  be  given.  What 
other  locality  can  present  such  a  roll  of  honor  as  Boscawen  and 
Webster  ? 


302  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

First  in  lionorable  mention  we  place  those  who  laid  the  founda- 
tions,— who  cleared  the  forests  ;  who  reared  their  humble  homes  in 
the  wilderness ;  who  braved  the  dangers  of  a  frontier  life  through 
a  dark  and  gloomy  period,  when  vigilance  was  the  price  of  life — 
the  preservation  of  themselves  and  those  whom  the}'  held  most 
dear ;  who  established  the  church  and  the  school ;  who  were  un- 
swerving patriots  Avhen  Liberty  called  them.  Through  the  trials, 
hardships,  and  devotion  of  the  first  settlers  of  Contoocook ;  through 
their  religious  convictions,  making  the  maintenance  of  relig- 
ious institutions  their  first  duty ;  through  the  patriotism  of  the 
men  of  the  Revolution, — all  subsequent  events  became  possible. 
"Whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap."  There  is 
no  grander  law  in  nature.  No  community  can  reap  a  harvest  of 
men,  without  sowing  the  seed  that  produces  men.  The  settlers 
of  Contoocook  comprehended  this  divine  law :  they  sowed  good 
seed,  and,  lo,  the  harvest ! 


FIEST     SETTLERS. 


BARKER,    DAVID. 


Nothing  definite  is  known  in  regard  to  this  settler.  His  name 
does  not  appear  upon  the  proprietors'  records.  He  was  not  a 
proprietor.     It  is  probable  that  he  did  not  long  remain. 

BEAN,    SINKLER. 

This  settler,  the  first  of  the  name  of  all  those  of  the  Merrimack 
valley,  so  far  as  is  known,  came  with  the  first  party  in  1734.  He 
remained  in  Contoocook  till  the  settlement  of  Salisbury,  when  he 
became  a  resident  of  that  town,  where  many  of  his  descendants 
now  reside.  His  name  appears  frequently  upon  the  records,  ap- 
pointed on  committees  in  positions  of  trust  and  honor.  He  was  a 
leading  and  influential  citizen  in  Salisbury. 

BOWEN,   JOHN. 

Diligent  research  fails  to  discover  whence  this  settler  came. 
It  is  probable  that  he  was  related  to  Anthony  and  Henry  Bowen, 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  303 

of  Penacoolc,  and  in-obably  a  brother  of  Peter,  wlio  killed  Sabbatis 
and  Plansawa.  He  served  as  a  ranger,  and  had  a  great  antipathy 
to  the  Indians. 

EOHONNOX,    ANDREW. 

He  was  a  native  of  Ireland.  It  is  not  known  what  year  he  em- 
igrated to  America.  He  was  unmarried  in  1734,  when  he  became 
a  settler  in  Contoocook,  marrying  Tabitha  Flanders,  daughter  of 
Dea.  Jacob  Flanders,  who  was  born  April  7,  1711.  Fle  became 
an  active  citizen.  He  was  a  man  of  great  energy  and  endurance. 
In  1755  he  enlisted  for  six  months  in  Col.  Blanchard's  regiment, 
for  an  expedition  against  Crown  Point.  The  regiment  had  its 
rendezvous  at  South  Franklin,  on  the  Webster  farm,  now  the 
Home  for  Orphans.  Several  weeks  were  spent  in  building 
boats,  in  which  the  regiment  was  to  ascend  the  Merrimack  and 
Baker's  river  to  Warren,  transport  the  boats  to  the  Connecticut, 
and  from  thence  ascend  some  branch  of  that  stream  which  would 
take  them  to  Lake  Champlain  ! — so  little  understood  was  the  geog- 
raphy of  Vermont  at  that  time.  When  it  was  discovered  that 
such  a  route  was  impossible,  the  regiment  descended  the  Merri- 
mack to  Nashua,  and  from  thence  marched  to  Worcester  and 
Albany. 

At  this  date  Bohonnon  probably  resided  on  land  now  owned  by 
Mrs.  Farnum  Coffin,  at  the  southerly  end  of  Water  street,  but 
soon  after  removed  to  Salisbury,  settling  near  the  south  village. 
He  was  active  in  the  public  affairs  of  that  town.  During  the 
Eevolution  he  was  a  devoted  patriot,  and  served  as  lieutenant  in 
Capt.  Ebenezer  Webster's  company  in  the  battle  of  Bennington. 

He  had  several  sons,  who  were  also  actiA^e  patriots ; — Jacob,  who 
was  a  private  in  Capt.  Webster's  company ;  Annaniah,  who  en- 
listed for  three  years,  in  1780,  in  Capt.  Gray's  company,  Scammel's 
regiment.  Continental  troops;  Stephen,  another  son,  who  was  a 
soldier  at  West  Point  at  the  time  of  Arnold's  treason,  and  was 
sentinel  at  Washington's  head-quarters  the  night  after  the  discov- 
ery. He  stated  that  Washington  spent  the  entire  night  in 
writing. 

Andrew  Bohonnon  died  in  Salisbury,  at  an  advanced  age. 

BISHOP,  JOSIAH. 

Of  the  parentage  of  Josiali  Bishop,  nothing  is  known.     It  is 


304  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY, 

probable  that  he  came  from  Newbiny  with  his  family  in  1733.  He 
lived  at  the  southerly  end  of  King  street.  Upon  the  outbreak  of 
hostilities  with  the  Indians  in  1746,  he  was  captured  while  at 
w^ork  in  the  field,  and  taken  into  the  woods.  [See  Civil  Hist.]  He 
was  determined  not  to  go  to  Canada  a  prisoner,  and  resisted  the 
Indians,  who  buried  their  tomahawks  in  his  skull,  as  was  after- 
wards ascertained. 

BITRRAXK,    MOSES,    CAPT. 

He  came  from  Bradford.  The  records  of  the  proprietors  make 
no  mention  of  his  being  elected  captain  over  any  military  organi- 
zation in  Contoocook,  and  it  may  be  inferred  that  he  received  his 
title  before  moving  into  the  town.  In  1746,  at  tlie  time  of 
the  Indian  outbreak,  the  settlers  formed  themselves  into  a 
military  band,  and  Capt.  Eollins  was  elected  coinmander ;  but 
there  is  no  evidence  that  he  remained  long  in  town.  It  is  known 
that  the  military  organization  was  kept  up  during  the  Indian 
troubles,  and  it  is  possible  that  Capt.  Burbank  was  the  com- 
mander. He  resided  on  Queen  street,  on  what  has  since  been 
known  as  the  "  Clark "  farm.  He  married  Sarah  Emery,  prob- 
ably sister  of  Edward  Emery.  He  reared  a  family  of  six  sons  and 
three  daughters,  and  was  the  progenitor  of  the  Burbank  family  in 
Boscawen  and  vicinity.  His  name  frequently  appears  upon  the 
records  as  a  piiblic  officer,  and  as  member  of  committees.  The 
date  of  his  birth  is  not  known,  nor  his  death,  but  he  was  in  the 
full  possession  of  his  mental  powers  in  1792,  when  he  gave  his 
deposition  to  Col.  Henry  Gerrish,  stating  the  number  of  settlers 
in  the  town  in  1733,  and  the  number  of  proprietors'  rights  partially 
improved. 

CALL,    PHILIP. 

One  of  the  most  active  of  the  first  settlers  upon  the  outbreak  of 
Indian  hostilities,  in  1744,  was  Philip  Call,  who  had  moved  to 
Contoocook  1733.  His  name  appears  upon  the  roll  of  Capt.  Jere- 
miah Clough's  company  as  a  scout,  from  September  26  to  Decem- 
ber 18  of  that  year,  receiving  as  wages,  £3  10s. ;  for  provisions, 
£3  3s.  He  was  out  with  Capt.  Clough  again  in  1745,  from  Jan- 
uary 21  to  March  18 ;  and  again  in  1746,  from  July  4  to  Decem- 
ber 4 ;  and  again  in  1747,  from  June  5  to  November  12. 

After  the  close  of  hostilities  in  1749,  he  moved  up  the  Merri- 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  305 

mack,  a  little  more  than  a  mile  beyond  the  line  of  Contoocook,  to 
the  fertile  intervale  of  Bakerstown  (South  Franklin),  and  beo-an 
a  clearing  on  the  Webster  farm.  While  living  there,  in  1754,  the 
'  Indians  made  a  descent  upon  the  jjlace,  and  killed  Mrs.  Call  as 
already  narrated  in  the  journal  of  events.  It  is  supposed  that 
Philip  Call  lived  and  died  in  Salisburj',  and  that  he  was  buried  in  the 
cemetery  at  South  Franklin  ;  but  no  stone  marks  his  resting-place. 
It  is  not  unlikely  that  the  Indians  were  well  acquainted  with  Philip 
Call.  He  was  a  good  Indian  lighter,  and  possibly  they  took  particu- 
lar pleasure  in  making  a  descent  upon  his  place.  His  son  Stephen 
was  one  of  the  first  selectmen  of  Salisbury,  upon  the  organization 
of  the  town  in  1768.  He  served  in  Capt.  Webster's  company, 
Col.  Nichols's  regiment,  in  the  Ehode  Island  campaign,  1776, 
The  Call  family  of  Franklin  and  Hill  are  descendants  of  Philip. 

COOK,    THOMAS. 

This  enterprising  settler,  soon  after  moving  into  town  in  1733, 
instead  of  remaining  at  the  "  town  "  on  King  street,  pushed  north- 
west, and  built  a  cabin  near  "  Mutton  "  road,  leading  from  Corser 
hill  to  Salisbury.  It  stood  near  "  Little"  brook,  from  which  he 
obtained  water.  The  place  is  now  marked  by  the  stump  of  a  large 
pine,  which  was  felled  a  few  years  since  by  Mr.  Luther  Titcomb. 

^  The  reason  which  prompted  Mr.  Cook  to  push  six  miles  beyond 
his  fellow-citizens  was  undoubtedly  the  desire  to  be  conveniently 
near  a  locality  where  he  could  obtain  an  abundance  of  fresh  meat. 
There  were  patches  of  meadow  around  "  Couch "  pond,  and  on 
Beaver-dam  brook,  which  were  favorite  resorts  for  deer,'  and  by 
locating  in  the  vicinity  Mr.  Cook  would  have  his  provisions  near 
at  hand. 

Upon  the  breaking  out  of  hostilities  in  1746,  Mr.  Cook  deemed 
it  prudent  to  leave  his  cabin.  He  was  at  work  near  Clay  hill, 
with  others,  on  the  4th  of  Muy,  1746,  when  the  Indians  fired  up- 
on the  party,  killing  him  and  a  negro— Cfesar,  slave  to  Eev.  Mr. 
Stevens.  [See  Civil  History.]  It  is  stated  that  Ciesar,  though 
wounded,  fought  with  great  bravery,  and  was  only  despatched 
after  a  fearful  struggcle. 

By  building  his  cabin  so  far  in  advance  of  his  neighbors,  Mr. 
Cook  has  given  a  name  to  the  eminence  north  of  the  place  where 
it  stood, — Cook's  hill. 
20 


306  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

CORSER,  JOHN. 

Tradition  has  it,  that  this  settler  came  from  Scotland  to  New- 
bury about  1690,  at  the  age  of  fourteen.  It  is  more  probable,  how- 
ever, that  he  came  to  Newbury  from  Boston  or  vicinity.  He 
married  in  Newbury.    The  records  of  Newbury  have  the  following  : 

"JolmCorser  &  Tabitha  Kenny  of  Newbury  were  married  March 
ye  8'hl716|17." 

In  1735,  he  moved  to  Contoocook  with  his  family  of  seven  chil- 
dren. His  eldest  son,  John,  Jr.,  had  then  settled  in  Kingston, 
N.  H.  He  resided  for  several  years  on  King  street,  and,  with 
others,  erected  the  first  saw-mill.  While  tending  it  he  met  with 
an  accident  which  deprived  him  of  his  sight.  His  death  is  sup- 
posed to  have  occurred  in  1776. 

His  son  John  came  from  Kingston  to  Boscawen  about  1764,  and 
settled  on  Corserhill,  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Mr.  Tilton.  Other 
facts  concerning  the  first  settler,  John,  will  be  found  in  the  gene- 
alogy of  the  Corser  family. 

DAGADOX,    WILLIAM. 

He  was  a  settler  of  1733,  and  located  his  farm  between  Queen 
street  and  Contoocook  river,  west  of  Fisherville,  near  Concord 
line.  His  name  appears  in  the  proprietors'  records  as  Dagadon, 
Digodon,  Dagodon,  and  Dogodan.  The  small  brook  which  emp- 
ties into  the  Contoocook  west  of  Fisherville  bears  his  name.  It 
is  not  known  that  he  took  any  active  part  in  the  affairs  of  the 
town. 

DANFORTH,  WILLIAM. 

He  was  probably  a  son,  possibly  grandson,  of  William,  who  was 
born  in  London  in  1653,  and  who  came  to  Newbury  about  1667. 
He  took  an  active  part  in  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  good  of 

the  settlement.     He  married  Flood,  a  sister  of  Bichard 

Flood,  one  of  the  first  settlers.     He  aided  in  the  erection  of  the 
first  saw-mill. 

DANFORTH,    NATHAXIEL. 

Whether  he  was  a  brother  or  cousin  to  William  is  not  quite 
clear.     He  came  to  Contoocook  in  1733.     Probably  he  was  then 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  307 

married.  His  daughter  Abigail,  born  Jan.  1,  1735,  was  the  first 
child  born  in  the  town,  who  married  Thomas  Foss,  and  resided 
on  Fish  street.  Nathaniel  Danforth's  son  Alkanner  served  as 
a  soldier  during  the  Revolution. 

William  and  Nathaniel  Danforth  were  men  of  decision  and 
firmness,  characteristics  that  have  been  transmitted  to  their  de- 
scendants. 

EASMAN,    JOSEPH. 

In  the  proprietors'  records,  the  name  now  spelled  as  Eastman 
is  given  as  above.  Rev.  Mr.  Price  has  recorded  the  name  of 
Joseph  Eastman  as  one  of  the  first  settlers.  Later  inquiries  indi- 
cate that  he  did  not  come  as  a  permanent  settler  till  a  year  or 
two  later,  though  it  is  possible  he  began  his  improvements  in 
1733. 

He  was  grandson  of  Roger  Eastman,  the  first  of  the  name  in 
America,  and  who  came  from  Wales  to  Salisbury  in  1640.  He 
was  a  prominent  citizen.  His  son  Joseph  was  captain  of  a  com- 
pany of  rangers  in  the  French  and  Indian  wars. 

EMERY,    EDWARD. 

The  ancestor  of  Edward  Emery  probably  was  John  Emery,  who 
came  from  Hants,  England,  to  Newbury  in  1635.  He  died  in 
November,  1683.  He  had  sons, — John,  born  in  England  about 
1629; — a  daughter,  who  was  named  Ebenezer,  Sept.  16,  1648. 
The  Newbury  records  have  this  concerning  her  birth :  "■  Born 
Monday  morning,  two  hours  before  day."  He  had  a  son,  Jona- 
than, born  May  13,  1652.  John  married  Marj^  Webster,  of  Ips- 
wich, widow  of  John  Webster,  and  reared  a  large  family. 

Jonathan  married  Mary  Woodman,  and  had  children, — Mary 
C,  Sept.  25,  1677  ;  Jonathan,  Feb.  2,  1679  ;  David,  Sept.  28, 
1682 ;  Anthony,  Nov.  13,  1684 ;  Stephen,  June  13,  1687,  died 
1688 ;  Sara,  Dec.  18,  1688 ;  Stephen,  again,  June  24,  1692 ;  Ed- 
ward, Nov.  10,  1694. 

The  youngest  son  removed  to  Contoocook  in  1733.  He  was  an 
active,  influential  citizen,  and  took  a  prominent  part  in  all  the 
affairs  of  the  plantation. 

During  the  peace  which  followed  the  first  outbreak  of  hostili- 
ties with  the  Indians,  Mr.  Emery,  thinking  to  obtain  his  veni- 


308  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

son  near  at  hand,  on  tlie  favorite  haunts  of  the  deer,  erected  a 
house  on  land  now  owned  by  Miss  Nancy  Couch,  at  the  foot  of 
Corser  hill.  It  stood  on  the  south  side  of  the  road,  near  the  brook 
running  to  Couch  pond.  It  was,  after  Thomas  Cook's  cabin,  the 
first  house  erected  in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Webster.  Mr.  Em- 
ery was  occupying  it  at  the  time  of  the  second  Indian  outbreak, 
but  moved  his  family  to  the  fort  the  daj^  before  the  Indians 
made  their  appearance  in  the  vicinit}^  [see  Civil  History].  It  was 
rifled  by  the  Indians.  There  is  no  evidence  that  Mr.  Emery  ever 
reoccttpied  it. 

He  was  one  of  the  most  influential  citizens,  and  his  name  fre- 
Cjuently  appears  in  the  records  as  one  often  selected  to  transact 
public  business.  In  1756  he  accompanied  Ezekiel  Flanders  to 
Newfound  lake  to  hunt  beaver,  where  both  were  killed  by  the  Ind- 
ians. 

FITZGERALD,   EDWARD. 

One  of  the  most  active  and  influential  of  the  settlers  of  '33  was 
Edward  Fitzgerald,  who  was  born  in  Ireland,  but  who  emigrated 
to  America  at  an  early  age,  and  lived  in  Newbury,  where  he 
married  Mehitable  XJran.  He  settled  on  Queen  street,  where  his 
wife  died  May  16, 1808,  aged  90.  They  had  a  family  of  two  sons 
and  eight  daughters.  The  family  name  has  undergone  many 
changes,  it  appearing  in  the  records  as  Fitz  Gerald  and  Fitz  Ger- 
auld.  About  the  year  1775  the  prefix  was  dropped,  and  the  name 
appears  as  Gerald,  Gerould,  Gerauld,  Jareld,  Jerald,  Jerril,  Jeril, 
and  Geruld. 

FLOOD,    RICHARD. 

In  1680,  Philip  Flood,  of  Guernsey,  England,  came  to  America, 
and  settled  in  Newbury,  where  his  son  Eichard  was  born  Feb.  25, 
1696.  His  name  appears  frequently  in  the  proprietor's  records. 
He  came  to  Contoocook  in  1734.  He  was  active  in  the  defence 
of  the  town  against  the  Indians  in  1744,  when  he  went  out  on  a 
scouting  party.  His  son  Kichard  married Farnum,  of  Con- 
cord, and  became  a  citizen  of  that  town,  serving  as  a  soldier  dur- 
ing the  Revolution.     His  sister  married  William  Danforth. 

FLAKDERS,  JACOB. 

He  was  grandson  of  Stephen  Flanders,  the  first  and  only  emi- 
grant of  that  name,  who  came  from  England  to  Salisbury,  with 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  309 

his  wife  Jane,  between  1640-164G,  and  was  one  of  the  first 
settlers  of  that  town.  The  grandson  was  born  Aug.  5,  1689,  in 
Salisbury,  and  consequently  was  forty-five  years  of  age  when  he 
came  from  South  Hampton  to  Contoocook,  with  his  wife  Mercy 
Clough.  He  was  one  of  the  first  settlers,  and  it  is  not  strange 
that  he  was  looked  up  to  as  a  leading  spirit.  He  was  one  of  the 
committee  to  build  the  first  meeting-house,  and  his  son  Jesse  was 
elected  the  second  deacon  of  the  church.  His  son  Ezekiel  was 
killed  by  the  Indians  while  hunting  beaver  at  Newfound  lake, 
1756.  His  son  Philip  served  in  several  campaigns  against  the 
Erench  and  Indians,  and  was  killed  at  Crown  Point  the  same 
year.  The  eldest  daughter,  Tabitha,  married  Andrew  Bohonnon 
[see  above],  and  lived  to  an  advanced  age. 

His  sons,  Dea.  Jesse  and  John,  enlisted  in  Capt.  Henrj^  Dear- 
born's company  in  Arnold's  expedition  to  Quebec,  1776,  and 
endured  all  the  hardships  of  that  terrible  campaign. 

Eev.  Dr.  Bouton,  in  the  History  of  Concord,  alludes  to  the 
Flanders  family  of  Boscawen  as  men  of  great  muscular  strength 
and  endurance. 

The  descendants  of  Jacob  Flanders  and  Mary  Clough  may  be 
reckoned  by  hundreds,  if  not  by  thousands. 

FOWLER,    JOHN, 

Came  from  Newbury,  and  lived  on  Queen  street.  He  prob- 
ably was  married  at  the  time  of  his  settlement  in  Contoocook. 
His  second  wife  was  Mrs.  Anna  Bamford,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Anna  Ellison,  whose  brother  was  grandfather  of  Hon.  Benjamin 
E.  Butler,  of  Lowell.  His  name  frequently  appears  in  the  records 
as  an  active  citizen. 

GEERISir,    STEPHEN. 

One  of  the  leading  men  among  the  first  settlers  was  Captain 
Stephen  Gerrish.  It  is  probable  that  none  of  them  had  a 
larger  estate  to  begin  with  than  he,  for  they  were  begin- 
ning life,  with  little  more  than  their  own  strong  hands  and  reso- 
lute wills.  He  was  born  in  Newbury,  June  3,  0.  S.  1712,  and 
was  but  twenty-two  years  of  age  when  he  came  to  Contoocook, 
with  his  ox  team  and  plow^ — the  first  in  the  town. 


310  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

He  was  a  leading  spirit,  took  an  active  part  in  all  matters  per- 
taining to  the  welfare  of  the  community,  and  was  often  appointed  on 
committees  by  his  fellow  proprietors.  He  established  the  first 
ferr}^,  was  thrifty,  and  accumulated  a  large  estate.  Eev.  Mr. 
Price  says  of  him, — 

"  He  was  particularly  prepared  to  advance  the  settlement  of  a 
new  country,  being  young,  robust,  acquainted  with  husbandr}', 
enterprising,  industrious,  economical.  Though  his  education  was 
small  and  his  manners  unpolished,  yet  his  strength  of  mind,  his 
frankness,  and  sympathetic  feelings,  rendered  him  useful  and 
agreeable.  He  well  knew  the  discouragements  and  wants  of  a 
new  settlement,  and  to  him  many  resorted  for  succor.  Possessing 
both  the  means  and  the  disposition,  he  was  liberal  and  hospitable, 
— a  friend  and  father  to  multitudes.  He  died  1788,  having  lived 
to  see  his  children  settled  and  prosperous,  and  useful  members  of 
both  civil  and  religious  societies." 

Mr.  Gerrish  resided  at  the  loAver  end  of  King  street,  and  for  a 
time,  near  the  close  of  his  life,  he  lived  upon  one  of  his  farms  in 
Canterbury,  on  the  intervale  below  "  Muchyedo." 

He  married,  first,  Elizabeth  Chase,  probably  of  Newbury,  who 
died  some  time  between  1734  and  1740,  leaving  no  children.  His 
second  wife  was  Joanna  Hale,  of  Newbury,  to  whom  he  was  mar- 
ried in  1741,  Avho  became  the  mother  of  five  sons  and  one  daughter, 
— Henry,  Samuel,  Enoch,  Joseph,  Stephen,  and  Jane, — from  whom 
has  descended  a  numerous  posterity  [see  Genealogy]. 

Although  a  citizen  of  sterling  worth,  and  a  supporter  of  civil 
and  religious  institutions,  it  appears  that  he  was  habitually  pro- 
fane. One  of  his  descendants,  Eev.  Jacob  Little,  in  a  biographi- 
cal notice  of  his  mother,  Mrs.  Martha  Gerrish  Little,  while  quot- 
ing the  eulogium  pronounced  by  Rev.  Mi*.  Price,  says, — "  The  only 
words  of  his  which  have  come  down  are  a  profane  oath  sworn  on  a 
public  occasion." 

Aside  from  this  one  blemish,  Captain  Gerrish  seems  to  have 
been  in  every  other  respect  worthy  of  honor.  He  was  residing  in 
Canterbury  in  1774,  where  he  made  his  will,  which  is  as  follows  : 

"  Canterbury  October  ye  13tli  1774 
"This  may  certify -whom  it  may  concern  that  I   Stephen  Gerrish  of 
Canterbury  in  the  county  of  Rockingham  and  Province  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, Having  the  Day  of  the  above  Date,  Settled  my  Estate  by  Deeds 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY,  311 

among  my  Children  &  cepting  ray  Stock  Household  furniture  &  XJten- 
tials  for  Husbandry,  of  which  I  hear  leave  as  my  Request  &  Desire  and 
it  is  my  will  that  they  may  be  Disposed  of  in  the  following  manner: 

"first  that  my  Beloved  wife  Joanna  have  out  of  my  stock  one  horse 
saddle  &  bridle  &  one  Cow  and  five  Sheep  and  also  the  one  half  of  my 
household  furniture  to  be  her  own  forever. 

"  Secondly  it  is  my  will  that  the  Remainder  of  my  stock  &  my  uten- 
tials  for  Husbandry  be  equally  Divided  between  my  two  sons  Joseph 
and  Stephen. 

"  thirdly  it  is  my  Avill  that  the  remaining  half  of  my  Household  fur- 
niture be  Equally  Divided  between  my  five  sons,  Henry,  Samuel, 
Enoch,  Joseph  &  Stephen. 

"  furthermore  it  is  my  will  and  Desire  that  my  Debts  be  paid  &  my 
Dues  Recieved  of  what  name  or  Nature  Soever  Equally  by  and  amongst 
ray  five  sons,  Henry,  Samuel.  Enoch,  Joseph,  and   Stephen. 
Witness  by  Stephen  Gerrish 

George  Jackman  Joanna  Gerrish 

Jeremiah  C lough." 

GERRISH,  JOAXXA    HALE,  MRS. 

Mrs.  Joanna  Hale  Gerrish,  a  supposed  descendant  of  Sir  Mat- 
thew Hale's  family,  granddaughter  of  Rev.  Joseph  Hale,  of  Bev- 
erly, and  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Ajiphia  (Moody)  Hale,  was 
born  in  Newbury,  June,  1715,  and  was  married  to  Capt.  Stephen 
Gerrish  in  1741.  She  was  a  woman  of  strong  character,  and  deeply 
religious, — in  this  respect  differing  widely  from  her  husband,  who 
was  habitually  profane,  but  who  in  all  other  respects  was  a  kind 
and  agreeable  companion.     Rev.  Jacob  Little  says  of  her, — 

"  She  was  eminently  pious,  left  the  Episcopal  and  joined  the  Congre- 
gational church  to  find  Spirituality,  &  brought  her  branch  of  the  Ger- 
rish family  within  the  covenant.  The  only  words  of  hers  which  have 
come  down,  are  an  expression  which  in  extreme  old  age  daily  were  uttered 
in  her  secret  devotion.  They  were  reported  by  an  old  lady  who  in 
childhood  slept  with  her.  This  was  the  expression,  'Bless  ray  children 
to  the  latest  generation.'  She  was  instrumental  in  turning  the  current 
in  the  family,  &  her  children,  early  pious,  and  her  hundreds  of  descend- 
ants have  generally  embraced  religion  in  youth  &  united  with  the 
church  of  her  choice." 

Mrs.  Gerrish  died  in  1792  at  the  age  of  77,  beloved  and  re- 
spected by  all  in  the  community. 


312  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 


JACKMAN,    GEORGE. 

He  was  born  in  Newbuiy,  1706-7.  It  is  doubtful  if  he  became 
a  permanent  settler  in  1734,  though  it  is  probable  that  he  began  the 
improvements  on  his  farm  at  that  time.  He  married  Hannah 
Bishop  in  1728,  and  lived  on  the  premises  now  owned  by  Prof.  John 
Jackman.  Upon  the  organization  of  the  church  he  was  elected 
deacon.  He  was  an  intelligent  and  influential  citizen,  greatly 
respected.  His  son  George  was  first  town-cleric  and  justice  of 
the  peace  [see  Biography]. 

JACKMAN,    RICHARD. 

He  was  brother  of  George,  born  in  Kewbury,  Oct.  17,  1709. 
He  married  Martha  Call,  daughter  of  Philip  Call,  who  was  a  vigi- 
lant citizen  during  the  war  with  the  Indians.  Mrs.  Jackman's 
mother  was  killed  by  the  Indians  at  South  Franklin  [see  History]. 

MANUEL,    JOEL. 

Little  is  known  in  regard  to  this  settler.  Diligent  search  has 
failed  to  discover  anything  concerning  his  nativity.  He  came 
to  Contoocook  in  1734,  and  his  name  appears  in  several  places  as 
member  of  committees.  His  son  John  resided  on  High  street, 
near  the  residence  of  Gen.  E.  G.  Wood.  The  family  is  nearly  if 
not  quite  extinct. 

MELOON,    NATHANIEL. 

Patient  research  has  not  thrown  much  light  upon  the  origin  of 
this  name,  and  nothing  whatever  is  known  of  the  nativity  of  this 
settler.  It  is  supposed  that  he  was  of  French  or  Flemish  origin. 
The  name  is  sometimes  written  Malon,  Maloon,  and  IMelloon. 
From  the  frequent  appearance  of  his  name  upon  the  records,  it  is 
evident  that  he  was  an  influential  citizen.  He  served  as  a  soldier 
in  scouting  parties  during  the  Indian  troubles. 

In  1754,  he  moved  to  West  Salisbury,  to  avail  himself  of  the  ex- 
tensive meadow  lands  in  that  vicinity.  His  nearest  neighbor  was 
Edward  Emerj^,  near  Couch  j)ond,  four  to  five  miles  distant. 
There  he  was  surprised,  and  with  his  family  captured — all  except 
one  son — by  the  Indians  [see  History — year  1756]. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  313 

Upon  his  return  from  captivity  lie  reoccupiecl  his  premises,  and 
became  one  of  the  active  citizens  of  Salisbiuy,  being  frequently 
elected  to  town  offices ;  was  selectman  in  1791,  when  he  was 
well  adv'anced  in  life.  His  name  is  appended  to  the  following 
paper  : 

"  VANDUK. 

"  To  be  set  up  at  public  Vandue  on  Monday  the  21  Day  of  Nov  next 
at  three  Oclock  P  M.  one  Sarah  Veza  for  Boarding,  to  be  struck  off  to 
the  lowest  bider  at  the  house  of  Stephen  Webster 
"  Nov  ye  10,  1791 

Nathi  Meloon 
Joel  Eastman 

Selectmen  of  Salisbury." 

PETERS,  WILLIAM. 

He  was  one  of  the  settlers  of  1733,  but  it  is  not  known  whence 
he  came.  He  was  sergeant  in  Capt.  John  Goffe's  company  in 
1748,  employed  in  scouting, — enlisting  May  28,  discharged  Oct.  5, 
his  wages  being  £13  16s.  5d.  Caleb  Emery,  Joseph  Eastman, 
and  William  Courser,  citizens  of  Contoocook,  were  in  the  same 
company. 

RIX,    NATHANIEL. 

He  appears  to  have  been  a  settler  in  Contoocook.  but  it  is  prob- 
able that  he  soon  removed  to  Concord,  as  the  name  of  Nathaniel 
Kix  appears  u];)on  the  records  of  that  town,  and  does  not  appear 
in  the  records  of  Boscawen.     Nothing  is  known  of  him. 

KOLF,   DANIEL. 

Tlie  name  is  sometimes  written  Rolfe.  It  is  probable  he  was 
related  to  the  citizen  of  Concord  of  the  same  name,  and  to  Benja- 
min Rolfe,  not  a  first  settler ;  but  nothing  definite  is  known  in 
regard  to  him. 


314  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 


GENERAL  BIOGRAPHY. 


ALDRICH,    JOHN. 


Jolm  Aldricli  was  born  in  Sniitlifield,  R.  I.,  Jan.  20,  1785.  He 
married  Harriet,  daughter  of  Samuel  Smith,  Jan.  18,  1810,  and 
moved  to  Mendon,  Mass.,  wliere  he  resided  till  1830,  -when  he 
made  Boscawen  his  home,  purchasing  a  farm  on  High  street,  near 
Salisl)ury  line.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  Friends. 
Through  life,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Aldrich  manifested  the  frank,  honest, 
sincere  traits  of  character  which  are  inculcated  by  the  Friends. 
They  were  progressive  in  their  religious  views,  earnest  in 
their  efforts  to  do  good,  ever  ready  to  help  the  poor,  guided  by  a 
simple  faith  and  trust  which  ever  led  them  to  a  higher  spiritual 
life.  They  were  industrious  and  frugal,  simple  in  all  their  tastes, 
and  patterns  of  neatness.  They  lived  quietly  and  unostentatiously, 
beloved  and  respected  by  their  friends  and  neighbors.  Mr. 
Aldrich  passed  to  the  better  life,  March  19,  1865,  and  Mrs.  Al- 
drich, May  13, 1872.  Their  children  were, — Armenia  Smith,  born 
Nov.  1,  1817,  married  Nathaniel  White,  of  Concord,  Nov.  1,  1836; 
John,  born  Nov.  9,  1825,  married  Olive  French,  of  Pemliroke, 
and  who  resides  in  Framingham,  Mass. 

AEEY,    ISAIAH     H. 

Isaiah  Hatch  Arey  was  born  on  Cape  Cod,  1827.  His  father 
moved  to  Boscawen  when  he  was  a  lad,  and  settled  on  the  farm 
south  of  the  Woodbury  plain.  The  son,  after  his  father's  death, 
built  the  residence  now  standing  south  of  the  cemeterj^  He 
married  Miss  Terry,  of  Boscawen,  was  elected  town-clerk  from 
1861  to  1864,  and  was  holding  that  official  position  at  the  time  of 
his  death,  Oct.  16,  1870. 

Mr.  Arey  possessed  a  sj-mpathetic  nature,  and  was  endowed 
with  fine  feelings,  which  he  well  knew  how  to  express  by  word 
and  act.  He  was  also  an  ingenious  and  skilful  mechanic,  and  for 
the  last  fifteen  3'ears  of'  his  life  devoted  much  time  to  the  man- 
ufacture of  violins  and  guitars.     Of  the  former  he  is  known  to 


t^t  n . 


y^o^v 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  315 

have  made  eighty-six,  and  of  the  latter  thirty-seven.  These  instru- 
ments are  now  highly  prized.  For  purity  of  tone  and  elegant 
workmanship,  perhaps  they  are  not  excelled  by  any  made  in  this 
country. 

Ole  Bull,  the  eminent  Norwegian  violinist,  recognized  Mr. 
Arey's  talents,  and  assisted  him  with  original  drawings  and  valu- 
able information.  Erom  a  letter  written  by  Ole  Bull  to  Mr.  Arey 
in  1857,  the  following  extract  is  given  : 

"  Allow  me  to  congratulate  you  on  the  achievement  of  your  violin, 
*  *  an  instrument  that  no  artist  or  amateur  Avould  hesitate  to  take 
to  his  bosom,  and  electrify  by  the  breath  of  his  inspiration.  I  sincerely 
•wish  tliat  those  further  results  of  my  experience,  which  I  have  commu- 
nicated to  you,  will  prove  a  benefit  to  yourself,  and  a  blessing  to  those 
who  take  your  children  to  their  hearts. 

"  Your  success  will  always  be  sincerely  felt  and  appreciated  by  your 
friend, 

Ole  Bull." 
atkixsox,  samuel, 

Was  the  son  of  Dea.  Joseph  Atkinson,  of  ISTewbury.  He  took 
an  active  part  in  town  affairs,  and  during  the  Revolution  was 
lieutenant  in  Stark's  regiment,  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  hill,  and 
was  employed  by  the  committee  of  safety  for  the  state  on  several 
important  occasions. 

Upon  the  records  of  the  committee  of  safety,  Jan.  SO,  1776,  is 
this  entry  : 

"  Ordered  the  Reciever  General   to   pay   Samuel  Atkinson  for  bis 
time  &  Expenses  in  going  after  Col  Bedell  £1 — lis." 
CoL  Bedel  was   in  command  of  a  regiment   doing  duty  on  the 
Connecticut  river. 

"April  9,  1776. 

"  Ordered  the  lleciever  General  to  pay  Lieut  Samuel  Atkinson  Four- 
teen pounds  Thirteen  Shill"  &  Eleven  pence  for   expense  of  Transport- 
ing the  Indians  sent  from  Exeter  from  Boscawen  to  Plymouth." 
No  contemporary  record  throws  any  light  upon  this  service.     For 
what  purpose  the  Indians  were  sent  to  Plymouth  is  unknown. 

During  the  summer  of  1776,  upon  the  advance  of  Gen.  Carleton 
and  Gen.  Burgoyne  to  Lake  Champlain,  there  was  great  conster- 
nation in  all  the  upper  towns  of  New  Hampshire  and  Vermont,  on 
the  Connecticut.  It  was  rumored  that  a  large  body  of  Indians  was 


316  BIOGRAPHICAL   HISTORY. 

to  invade  that  section.  Lieut.  Atkinson  started  as  a  A-olunteer 
for  the  defence  of  the  frontier.  The  condition  of  affairs  is  set 
forth  in  a  letter  from  Col.  John  Hurd,  found  in  Provincial  Papers 
(Vol.  8,  p.  306). 

He  visited  Exeter,  to  report  in  person  the  state  of  affairs,  and 
received  an  order  to  forward  two  small  cannon,  which  belonged  to 
the  state,  and  which  were  in  Canterbury,  to  Haverhill. 

He  was  captain  of  a  company  enlisted  to  join  Gen.  Sullivan  at 
Ticonderoga. 

In  IMay,  1777,  Capt.  Atkinson  was  employed  by  the  town  to 
obtain  fire-arms  and  equipments  ;  and  the  committee  of  safety  for 
the  state  conferred  authority  upon  him  to  raise  men  to  serve 
under  Gen.  Stark,  after  the  battle  of  Bennington. 

In  1779-80,  he  was  employed  by  the  committee  of  safety  to 
procure  supplies,  and  rendered  efficient  aid  to  the  government 
during  the  w^ar. 

He  was  honored  and  trusted  by  his  fellow-citizens,  and  was  an 
ardent  patriot. 

ATKINSON,    HALE, 

Whose  likeness  is  here  presented,  was  born  March  3,  1799, 
on  the  homestead  which  he  inherited  from  his  father,  situated 
on  the  river  road,  where  his  grandfather  settled  when  he  moved 
from  Newbury,  Mass.,  in  1767.  He  was  an  obliging  aiid  kind 
neighbor,  a  lover  of  books,  sustaining  schools  and  the  institu- 
tions of  religion  with  cheerfulness,  and  always  fulfilling  the  du- 
ties of  a  good  citizen.  In  early  life  he  had  a  fondness  for  military 
parade,  and  at  one  time  was  captain  of  the  cavalry  company  in 
the  21st  Regiment.  His  political  views  did  not  accord  with  those 
of  the  majority  in  town,  but  he  was  often  chosen  to  office,  the 
duties  of  which  he  performed  faithfully  and  impartially.  He  was 
selectman  in  1847,  1849,  1850,  1852,  1853,  and  1857.  He  was 
unmarried  ; — died  April  15,  1874. 

ATKINSON,    HARVEY, 

Son  of  Joseph  Atkinson,  was  born  in  Boscawen,  July  19,  1806 
[see  Gen.].  He  attended  the  district  school,  receiving  instruction 
from  Mrs.  Sally  Kimball  Martin,  one  of  the  renowned  female 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  317 

teacliers  of  the  town,  Susan  Pearson,  Abigail  Dix  (sister  of  Gen. 
Dix),  Martha  Holt,  Francis  Danforth,  Joseph  Morrill,  Samuel 
Chamberlain,  Erastus  Torrey,  and  Peabody  Atkinson.  He  was  a 
student  at  the  opening  of  the  male  department  of  Boscawen  Acad- 
emy, under  the  tuition  of  Jarvis  Gregg,  and  also  a  student  at 
Franklin  Academy.  He  became  an  instructor,  teaching  in  his 
own  district— the  Gulf— in  1828-29,  also  in  1829-30  and  in 
1830-31  at  Horse  hill  in  Concord. 

In  November,  1831,  he  moved  to  Ohio,  where  he  taught  four 
years,  returning  to  Boscawen  in  1835.  During  the  following 
winters  he  taught  on  Little  hill,  at  High  street,  and  at  the  Gulf. 

Mr.  Atkinson's  father  had  the  power  of  great  concentration  of 
thought  in  mathematical  calculation,  and  possessed  a  retentive 
memory.  He  once  calculated  mentally  the  number  of  barleycorns 
required  to  encircle  the  globe,  allowing  three  to  an  inch,  and  put 
the  answer  down  upon  his  slate.  To  verify  his  calculation  he 
went  through  the  problem  by  w^riting  the  figures,  and  arrived  at 
the  same  result. 

Mr.  Harvey  Atkinson,  since  1837,  has  resided  on  his  farm,  giv- 
ing his  attention  to  agriculture. 

BAKER,    HENRY    W.,    LT. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  in  1861,  Henry  W.  Baker  was 
at  work  making  household  furniture,  in  the  "Hollow,"  in  Bos- 
cawen. He  was  a  young  man  of  ardent  temperament,  a  lover  of 
liberty,  a  true  citizen,  and  an  earnest  patriot.  He  offered  his 
services  to  his  country,  and  was  commissioned  Second  Lieuten- 
ant, Co.  E,  7th  Kegiment,  Nov.  12,  1861. 

The  rendezvous  of  the  regiment  was  at  Manchester.  On  Jan. 
14,  1862,  it  broke  camp,  and  was  ordered  to  New  York,  where  it 
remained  till  Eeb.  13,  when  it  embarked  on  sailing  vessels  for  the 
Dry  Tortugas,  where  it  remained  till  June  16th,  when  it  was  or- 
dered to  Port  Royal,  and  from  thence  to  St.  Augustine,  subse- 
quently to  Eernandina,  and  again  to  Hilton  Head. 

On  June  18,  1863,  it  joined  the  forces  under  Gen.  Gilmore,  and 
was  employed  during  the  month  in  arduous  duties.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  July  18,  the  troops  designed  to  make  an  assault  upon  Fort 
Wagner  were  drawn  up  on  the  beach.  During  the  night  the  7th 
Eegiment  had  been  under  arms  doing  fatigue  duty.     A  terrific 


318  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

tliuncler-storm  had  raged,  and  tlie  soldiers  were  drenclied  with 
rain.  The  regiment  had  heen  so  reduced  by  sickness,  that  but 
four  hundred  and  eighty  were  in  the  ranks. 

Through  the  entire  day  a  terrible  cannonade  was  kept  up  by 
the  Union  batteries  and  ironclads,  which  was  responded  to  from 
time  to  time  by  the  guns  of  Fort  Wagner.  All  through  the  weary 
hours,  the  soldiers  of  the  7th  lay  behind  their  entrenchments  be- 
neath the  blazing  sun. 

The  command  had  been  entrusted  to  Gen.  Trueman  H.  Seymour, 
who  determined  to  make  an  assault.  He  knew  nothing  of  the 
construction  of  Fort  Wagner.  No  information  of  the  impedi- 
ments to  be  overcome  had  reached  him.  Col.  Putnam,  of  the  7th, 
commanding  the  second  brigade,  opposed  the  contemplated  move- 
ment. 

"  I  do  not  think  that  we  can  take  the  fort,"  he  said  ; — and  when 
Gen.  Sej-mour  reiterated  his  determination  to  make  the  attempt. 
Col.  Putnam  said,  *'  We  shall  go  like  a  flock  of  sheep." 

The  sun  set,  and  the  twilight  faded.  The  soldiers  were  ordered 
to  remove  the  caps  from  the  nipples  of  their  rifles,  and  were  told 
that  they  must  depend  upon  the  bayonet  alone.  In  the  100th  N. 
y.,  which  formed  behind  the  7th,  this  order  was  neglected. 

In  the  darkness,  the  assaulting  column  moved  forward.  The 
ironclads  and  the  Union  batteries  opened  a  heavy  tire,  wdiich 
was  continued  till  the  column  was  so  near  that  further  firing 
would  endanger  it,  when,  at  a  signal,  all  the  Union  batteries 
became  silent.  In  an  instant.  Port  Wagner  was  aflame.  Its 
heavy  siege  guns,  howitzers,  and  forty-two  pounder  carronades 
burst  forth,  pouring  a  stream  of  shot  and  shell  into  the  advancing 
troojis.  And  now,  in  addition,  the  parapet  of  the  fort  swarmed 
with  men,  who,  through  the  terrible  cannonade  of  the  day,  had 
been  lying  securely  beneath  the  bomb-proofs.  Mingled  with  the 
roar  of  the  cannon  were  their  volleys  of  musketry. 

The  first  brigade  had  the  advance.  Its  ranks  went  down  like 
grass  before  the  mower.  Some  of  the  soldiers  fled,  panic-stricken. 
The  second  brigade,  led  by  the  7th  N.  H.,  pressed  on  and  filled 
the  decimated  ranks.  Suddenly  they  found  themselves  confront- 
ed by  a  ditch  fifty  feet  wide  and  ten  feet  deep,  with  four  feet  of 
water  flowing  into  it.  Only  at  the  south-eastern  angle  was  it 
dry.     It    was   enfiladed  by  howitzers.     Into  the  ditch  leaped  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  319 

soldiers.  Grape  and  canister  mowed  tliem  down,  but  others 
crowded  on.  The  7th  N.  H.,  led  by  Lt.  Col.  Joseph  C.  Abbott, 
made  its  waj^  iinfalteringly  into  the  ditch,  througli  it,  and  np  the 
slope  of  the  parapet.  Cannon  and  musketry  blazed  in  their  faces  ; 
and  now  there  was  a  flash  behind  them — the  100th  N.  Y.,  not 
having  removed  their  caps,  Avere  firing  into  the  dark  mass,  not 
knowing  who  was  friend,  who  foe.  All  was  confusion.  All  or- 
der disappeared.  In  the  darkness  no  one  could  be  recognized. 
Amid  the  groans  of  the  wounded,  the  shouting  of  officers,  the  rat- 
tle of  rifles,  the  roar  of  cannon,  the  bursting  of  shells,  it  was  im- 
possible to  maintain  discipline.  Col.  Putnam,  a  few  of  his  sub- 
ordinates, and  one  or  two  hundred  men  entered  tlie  fort.  The 
enemy  cliarged,  but  were  driven.  Col.  Putnam  was  killed ; — one 
officer  after  another  went  down.  Tlie  reserve,  which  should  liave 
rushed  up,  did  not  come.  The  assault  had  lost  its  force.  Like 
sheep  the  Union  soldiers  fled  as  best  they  could  through  the  dev- 
astating fire,  leaving  a  ghastl}^  heap  of  dead  and  wounded  in  the 
ditch,  and  on  the  parapet  of  the  fort.  Among  the  killed  Avas  Hen- 
ry W.  Baker.  By  his  side  were  Dexter  Pritchard,  Liberty  G. 
Raymond,  and  Alexander  F.  Stevens,  from  Boscawen,  and  of  his 
company,  also  killed.  Among  the  wounded  was  Samuel  McEvely, 
and  among  the  prisoners  Avas  John  Clancy,  who  died  in  prison  at 
E/ichmond. 

In  his  first  battle.  Lieutenant  Baker  gaA^e  his  life  to  his  country. 
Those  who  serA'ed  under  him  speak  of  him  with  affection.  He 
was  cool  and  brave,  and  eA'er  mindful  of  his  duties.  He  Avas 
buried  Avhere  he  fell,  Avith  his  commander,  Col.  Putnam,  and  his 
subordinates,  Pritcliard,  Raymond,  and  SteA'ens.  He  Avas  the 
last  of  his  family,  his  elder  brother,  J.  C.  Baker,  m.  v.,  of  Abing- 
ton,  Mass.,  deceased,  being  his  only  near  relative.  Those  Avho 
loiew  him  best  will  CA^er  hold  him  in  affectionate  remembrance. 

BALLARD,    WILLIAM   WALLACE, 

Was  born  in  Peterborough  in  1828.  His  father  was  I^athan  Bal- 
lard, of  Peterborough,  Avho  married  Sarah  D.  Clement,  of  Bos- 
cawen. He  was  left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age,  but  Avas  adopted 
by  Benjamin  Walker,  Mrs.  W.  being  his  aunt.  He  learned  the 
trade  of  stone-cutting,  but  spent  most  of  his  time  with  Mr.  Walker, 


320  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

attending  the  district  scliool — Water  street,  south.  He  was  of  a 
quiet,  gentle  nature,  and  in  boyhood  showed  none  of  those  stei'ling 
qualities  of  character  which  revealed  themselves  in  after  life. 

It  is  altogether  probable  that  the  flame  of  patriotic  ardor,  whicli 
at  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  in  1861  induced  him  to  be  one  of 
the  first  to  enlist,  was  kindled  by  Mr.  Eliakim  Walker,  Revolu- 
tionary pensioner,  who  never  was  weary  of  rehearsing  the  story  of 
Bunker  hill ;  and,  without  doubt,  the  flame  was  intensified  by  the 
uncompromising  hostility  of  Mr.  Benjamin  Walker  to  slavery. 

When  the  second  regiment  of  N.  H.  volunteers  was  organized, 
young  Ballard  enlisted  in  the  Goodwin  Rifles,  of  the  2d  Regiment. 
The  regiment,  on  its  way  to  the  seat  of  war,  was  entertained  at 
Boston,  in  Music  hall,  where  Mr.  Harrison  D.  Clement,  of  Law- 
rence, uncle  to  Ballard,  had  a  conversation  with  him. 

"  I  did  not  suppose  that  you  had  any  great  military  ardor,"  was 
the  remark  of  Mr.  C. 

"  I  have  not,  but  the  call  is  urgent.  I  have  no  family ;  I  can 
go.  Military  life  has  no  attractions  for  me  ;  but  I  owe  a  duty 
to  my  countr}^,  and  I  shall  do  my  best  to  perform  it." 

It  is  out  of  such  men  that  heroes  are  made. 

His  regiment  was  in  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  where  Bal- 
lard acted  with  conspicuous  coolness  and  deliberation.  After  the 
engagement,  he  informed  his  uncle  that  he  had  several  fair  shots  at 
the  enemy,  at  half  the  distance  of  which  he  was  sure  of  his  mark. 

A  few  weeks  subsequent  to  the  battle  he  was  sent  to  Washing- 
ton to  perform  some  duty,  and,  upon  his  rejoining  the  regiment, 
found  a  second  lieutenant's  commission  awaiting  him,  the  j)romo- 
tion  having  been  made  wholly  without  his  knowledge.  A  sword 
and  uniform  were  presented  him  by  his  brother  officers. 

He  commanded  the  company  at  the  battle  of  Williamsburg,  and 
throughout  nearly  the  entire  Peninsula  campaign,  in  which  the 
2d  Regiment  took  an  active  part  [see  Adgt.  Gen.  Report]. 

During  the  seven  days'  fighting,  his  clothes  were  pierced  several 
times,  and  he  was  slightly  wounded  on  the  forehead,  which  filled 
his  eyes  and  covered  his  face  with  blood  ;  but  he  maintained  his 
place,  leading  the  men  into  action  while  thus  disfigured. 

During  one  of  the  battles,  while  in  the  thick  of  the  fight,  he 
dragged  a  wounded  soldier  behind  a  tree,  and  himself  took  shelter. 
While  they  were  there  the  tree  was  struck  seventeen  times. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  321 

Tlie  regiment,  at  Gettysburg,  was  attached  to  the  3d.  corps,  com- 
manded by  Gen.  Sickles.  During  the  march  from  the  Rappahan- 
nock, Lieut.  Ballard  was  taken  sick,  and  though  entitled  to  ride  in 
the  ambulance,  resolutelj^  maintained  his  place  ^yith  the  company. 
Although  he  had  the  surgeon's  certificate  in  his  pocket,  excusing 
him  from  duty,  he  not  only  made  the  march,  but  Avas  seen  carrying 
the  guns  of  his  worn-out  soldiers,  and  even  the  tent-pole,  on  his 
shoulder.  On  the  morning  of  July  2d,  the  surgeon  and  officers, 
knowing  how  exhausted  he  was,  tried  to  dissuade  him  from  taking 
part  in  the  engagement,  but  in  vain. 

The  regiment  was  stationed  in  Sherfey's  peach  orchard,  and 
was  one  of  the  first  to  feel  the  blows  inflicted  by  Longstreet's  ad- 
vance. 

In  the  first  shock,  nine  of  the  officers  were  killed  or  wounded. 
The  captain  of  Company  B  being  one  of  the  number,  the  com- 
mand devolved  upon  Lieut.  Ballard.  Not  long  after,  he  was  mor- 
tally wounded  b}'  a  ball  passing  through  his  hips  and  bowels, 
but  did  not  fall  till,  unable  to  move,  he  was  knocked  down  by  a 
battery  wheeling  into  position.  So  close  was  the  fighting  at  this 
moment,  that  when  his  sword  flew  from  his  hand  it  fell  close 
to  the  rebel  line, — so  near,  that  one  of  the  soldiers  of  the 
regiment,  in  attempting  to  recover  it,  was  taken  prisoner. 
Lieut.  Ballard  was  taken  to  the  rear,  and  lingered  five  days,  re- 
ceiving all  the  care  that  was  possible  to  give  in  the  over-crowded 
hospitals.  He  knew  that  his  wound  was  mortal,  and  calmly 
awaited  the  coming  of  death,  sending  this  message  to  his  friends  : 

"  Sliould  I  leave  any  property  after  paying  my  debts,  I  desire  that  it 
may  be  given  to  the  soldiers  who  have  suffered  for  their  country."' 

His  remains  were  taken  to  Boscawen,  and  interred  in  the 
cemetery,  near  the  site  of  the  old  meeting-house.  His  funeral 
sermon  was  preached  by  his  old  chaplain,  Prof.  Parker — now  of 
Dartmouth  college — in  the  Congregational  church  on  the  plain, 
which  was  filled  by  a  great  concourse  of  people,  who  had  known 
his  sterling  qualities,  and  wliich  were  thus  set  forth  : 

"  In  the  prime  condition  and  obligation  of  life,  which  conies  up  to  us 
most  forcibly  in  life's  adieu,  and  beside  the  grave, — your  life,  dear  friend 
did  you  regard  and  employ  it  as  yours  for  God?  How  happy  to  be 
able  here  to-day  to  make  mention  of  the  fact,  that,  at  the  early  ao-e  of 

21 


o22  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

fourteen,  he  made  public  profession  of  tlie  Cliristian  faith,  and  conse- 
crated himself  forever  to  the  cross  and  service  of  the  Redeemer. 

"  Of  the  consistency  of  all  the  years  of  his  Christian  life,  I  do  not 
know  how  faithfully  he  fulfilled  the  obligations  of  his  Christian  profes- 
sion— I  cannot  fully  testify; — but  this  I  do  know:  his  soldier's  career 
was  singularly  free  from  the  vices  of  army  life.  I  never  knew  any  de- 
parture in  his  conduct  from  the  strict  line  of  principle  and  virtue.  His 
character  seemed  as  upright  as  his  tall  frame. 

"He  was  one  with  whom,  in  the  army,  I  had  ever  pleasant  inter- 
course aud  strong  congeniality  of  feeling.  I  can  see  him  even  now,  accom- 
panying his  men,  as  was  so  invariably  his  custom,  to  our  regimental 
Sabbath  services;  or,  as  he  often  sat  within  my  tent,  conversing  upon 
themes  which  showed  alike  his  excellent  sense  and  excellent  principles. 

"  It  was  no  ordinary  testimony  to  the  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by 
the  noble  company  of  which  he  was  a  member,  when  from  a  private, 
without  ever  having  worn  a  corporal's  stripes  upon  his  arm,  he  was 
passed  over  all  the  intermediate  grades  at  a  step,  and  made  a  lieuten- 
ant by  common  consent. 

"  The  respect  he  had  among  you  here  at  home,  for  his  character  and 
worth,  he  never  lost  in  the  army;  and  had  he  been  permitted  to  return 
to  live  once  more  among  you,  it  would  have  been  to  have  enjoyed  your 
increased  regard,  I  doubt  not,  as  a  man  and  a  Christian. 

"  And  now  Lieut.  Ballard,  at  the  early  age  of  thirLy-four,  sleeps  in 
death!  IS^o  more  campaignings,  no  more  hard-fought  fields:  the  march 
and  battle  of  life  are  over! 

"  That  noble  spirit  of  his,  whicli  animated  him  to  the  performance  of 
duty  at  whatever  cost  or  hazard,  Avhich  forbade  his  shrinking  from  any 
peril,  finally  urged  him  forward  with  his  men  to  the  battle,  although 
debility  and  disease  warranted  inaction,  and  demanded  rest;  and  his 
sick  and  weakened  frame  was  unable  to  sustain  the  shock  and  effect  of 
the  wound  then  received. 

"  I  might  have  expected  all  this,  so  often  have  I  heard  him  say  that, 
if  he  could  move,  nothing  should  ever  keep  him  from  accompanying  the 
regiment  when  a  battle  was  to  occur. 

"Brave  soldier,  noble  officer,  excellent  young  ni an,  dearly  beloved 
friend,  we  leave  thee.  Thy  life  was  thy  country's:  she  has  it; — and 
now  thy  name  is  thy  country's:  she  will  keep  it! 

"  Was  it  a  lasting  honor  to  have  fought  with  our  Revolutionary 
fathers  to  found  this  government?  Then  is  it  enduring  fame  like 
thee  to  have  fought  and  died  to  sustain  it! 

"  Has  no  land  ever  more  merited  a  patriot's  love  than  thine  ?  Then, 
than  thine,  no  patriot's  devotion  ever  more  merited  gratitude;  no  pa- 
triot's death  more  merited  honor. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY,  323 

"  And  so  we  leave  thee,  heroic  soldier,  true-hearted  patriot.  Chris- 
tian young  man,  esteemed,  beloved  friend.  With  many  tears,  and  yet 
■with  hearts  beating  to  a  deeper  love  of  country,  and  a  higher  estimate 
of  the  true  citizen,  of  manly  worth,  of  virtue,  of  right,  of  freedom,  and 
of  religion,  we  consign  these  battle-torn  remains  to  the  grave,  and  thy 
soul  to  God,  thankfully  trusting  that  the  victory  of  the  Christian  life 
and  conflict  is  thine, — martial  strains  exclianged  for  the  music  and  mel- 
odies of  angels,  the  sword  for  the  harp  of  gold,  the  soldier's  laced  and 
plumicd  attire  for  the  robes  of  heaven  and  the  crown  of  life  and  immor- 
tality!" 

BUXTON,     EDWARD,    REV. 

The  second  pastor  of  the  Congregational  church  in  Webster, 
Kev.  Edward  Buxton,  was  born  in  Reading,  Mass.,  Aug.  17,  1803, 
— the  youngest  son  of  Benjamin  and  Hannah  (Flint)  Buxton, 
who  subsequently  removed  to  New  Boston.  j\Ir.  Buxton  desired 
that  one  of  his  sons  should  enter  the  ministry;  but  in  child- 
hood the  son  was  subjected  to  a  fright  which  produced  an  im- 
pediment of  sj)eech,  and  the  father  gave  up  all  expectation  of  ever 
seeing  him  engaged  in  the  ministry.  But  the  son  adopted  a 
rigid  course  of  discipline,  by  which  he  overcame,  in  a  good  de- 
gree, his  stammering, — so  much  so,  that  in  1829  he  began  the 
study  of  medicine.  He  gave  himself  so  thoroughly  to  study,  how- 
ever, that  sickness  intervened,  and  he  was  compelled  to  relinquish 
for  a  time  his  chosen  pursuit. 

Eecovering  his  health  in  some  degree,  he  engaged  in  teaching 
in  New  Boston,  and,  to  perfect  himself  as  a  teacher,  attended 
Exeter  academy,  then  under  Benjamin  Abbot,  the  preceptor  who 
could  count  Edward  Everett,  Alexander  H.  Everett,  and  many 
other  distinguished  men  of  the  century,  as  his  pupils. 

Upon  leaving  the  academy,  Mr.  Buxton  became  preceptor  of  the 
academy  in  Greenland,  N.  H.,  where  he  found  congenial  society 
in  the  person  of  Rev.  Wallace  Clark,  pastor  of  the  Congregational 
church.  The  3'oung  preceptor  became  superintendent  of  the  Sun- 
day-school, and  whenever  the  pastor  was  absent  was  selected  to 
conduct  the  public  exercises  upon  the  Sabbath. 

So  acceptable  were  his  services,  that  neighboring  parishes,  with- 
out a  minister,  called  upon  the  preceptor  at  Greenland  to  occupy 
their  pulpits.  Thus  gradually,  and  almost  without  any  plan  for 
his  future  life,  Edward  Buxton  became  a  preacher,  teaching  by 


324  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

day  in  the  academy,  studying  theology  by  night  in  the  house  of 
his  friend,  Kev.  Mr.  Clark.  His  studies,  rather,  were  in  the 
early  morning,  for  during  those  years  he  formed  the  habit  of  light- 
ing his  fire  and  lamp  before  the  first  glimmerings  of  dawn  were 
seen  in  the  east — a  habit  that  has  adhered  through  life,  and  ena- 
bled him  to  accomplish  much  which  otherwise  never  woi;ld  have 
been  done. 

He  was  ordained  at  Greenland  in  1836,  and  was  employed  in 
preaching  at  Rochester  for  a  few  months,  then  at  Dorchester  and 
Whitefield,  until  called  to  Webster,  in  August,  1837. 

He  was  installed  pastor  of  the  church  December  13  the  same 
year,  succeeding  Rev.  Mr.  Price,  who  had  resigned  the  pastorate 
in  the  spring  of  1836.  From  that  date  to  the  present,  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  months  in  1876,  he  has  preached  to  the  people 
of  Webster,  preaching  his  4()th  anniversary  sermon  in  December, 
1877.  He  is  the  oldest  pastor  in  the  state.  His  term  of  office  em- 
braces an  important  period  in  the  history  of  the  country.  Since 
his  settlement,  the  nation  has  passed  through  a  great  civil  war. 
Previous  to  the  breaking  out  of  the  conflict  was  the  period  of  ex- 
citement incident  to  the  agitation  of  the  anti-slavery  question. 

The  church  in  Webster,  in  common  with  most  of  the  churches, 
was  conservative. — slow  to  act,  and  regarding  with  distrust  the 
methods  of  many  of  the  earnest  anti-slavery  reformers.  Dur- 
ing the  years  of  excitement,  the  pastor  of  the  church  manifested 
that  equipoise  of  judgment  and  calmness  of  disposition  which 
carried  him  safely  through  a  period  in  which  many  pastorates 
were  dissolved. 

Mr.  Buxton,  like  his  predecessor,  has  performed  arduous  duties 
as  superintending  committee  of  schools,  and  has  taken  great  inter- 
est in  the  cause  of  education,  giving  individual  instruction  to 
many  young  ladies  aiad  gentlemen. 

He  has  been  thrice  married, — first,  to  Elizabeth  McParland, 
daughter  of  Rev.  Asa  McParland,  d.  d.,  of  Concord ;  second,  to 
Mrs.  Lois  Jewett,  of  Laconia ;  third,  to  Mrs.  Louise  Jane  Dix 
Pillsbury,  widow  of  Gen.  Moody  A.  Pillsbury,  and  daughter  of  Col. 
Timothy  Dix,  of  Boscawen. 

In  1876,  Mr.  Buxton  was  elected  delegate  to  the  convention  for 
the  revision  of  the  state  constitution. 

By  his  fidelity  as  a  pastor,  his  high  character,  liis  consistent 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  325 

life,  his  devotion  to  dutj-,  and  liis  regard  for  the  welfare  of  the 
whole  community,  he  has  won  the  respect  and  affection  of  the 
public  in  a  remarkable  degree.  It  falls  to  the  lot  of  but  few  men 
to  be  so  universally  esteemed. 

Though  past  the  age  allotted  to  man,  he  still  ministers  to  the 
jieople,  and  maintains  the  studious  habits  of  his  early  j^ears. 

He  is  an  ardent  lover  of  music,  and  is  in  full  sympathy  with 
the  progressive  spirit  of  the  age,  endearing  himself  alike  to  old 
and  j^oung,  with  the  sports  and  pleasures  of  childhood,  as  well  as 
with  the  graver  duties  of  maturer  years. 

BURBANK,  ABRAHAM,  CAPT. 

One  of  the  prominent  business  men  of  Boscawen  was  Abraham 
Burbank,  eldest  son  of  David  Burbank,  and  grandson  of  Capt. 
Moses  Burbank,  one  of  the  earl}-  settlers  of  the  town.  He  was 
born  Nov.  16,  1781,  learned  the  trade  of  blacksmith  of  his  father, 
and  carried  on  blacksmithing  on  Little  hill  with  Jesse  Little. 
He  was  an  adept  in  making  axes,  giving  them  a  shape  much  liked 
by  the  woodchoppers  at  the  beginning  of  the  centur}",  and  of  such 
keen  temper  that  '^  Abe  Burbank's  axes ''  were  Avidely  known, 
and  had  a  ready  sale. 

He  married  Mary  Call,  and,  second,  Polly  M.  Jackman,  settled 
in  Bashan  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  his  son,  Mr.  Azro  Sheridan 
Burbank,  and  engaged  in  lumbering. 

With  his  son.  Friend  L.  Burbank,  he  became  proprietor  of  the 
mills  on  Blackwater  river;  also,  a  mill  on  Knight's  Meadow 
brook ;  also,  one  on  Pond  brook.  At  one  time,  nearly  every  mill 
in  Boscawen  was  employed  in  sawing  his  lumber,  which  was  sent 
down  the  Merrimack  river  to  Lowell  and  Boston. 

He  was  greatly  respected  by  his  fellow-citizens,  and  was  re- 
peatedly elected  to  represent  them  in  the  legislature.  He  was  a 
cheerful  supporter  of  religious  and  charitable  organizations,  and 
alive  to  all  interests  affecting  the  public  welfare. 

He  died  in  1856,  aged  75 — an  active,  energetic,  honored  citizen 
to  the  last  year  of  his  life. 

BURBAXK,    LITTLE, 

Son  of  David,  was  born  in  Boscawen  [see  Genealogy].  He  settled 
in   Bashan,   on  land  now   owned   by  William  Huntoon,  at  the 


326  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

corner  of  the  road  leading  west  to  the  cemetery,  hut  suhsequently 
purchased  the  farm  now  owned  hy  F.  F.  &  Wm.  Fisk.  He  early 
engaged  in  lumhering,  sending  masts,  spars,  and  oak  timber  to 
Medford,  and  other  kinds  to  Lowell.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
industry,  working  early  and  late,  and  employing  many  men.  He 
was  a  public-spirited  citizen,  a  steadfast  supporter  of  civil  and  re- 
ligious institutions,  a  consistent  member  of  the  Congregational 
church,  and  a  respected  member  of  society. 

BURBAXK,    CALVIN    M., 

Youngest  son  of  Little  Burbank  [see  Genealogy],  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  war  enlisted  in  the  Goodwin  Rifles,  Company  B,  2d 
E-egiment,  commanded  by  Col.  Gilman  Marston,  of  Exeter,  and 
attached  to  the  brigade  commanded  by  Gen.  Burnside.  The  regi- 
ment was  conspicuously  engaged  in  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run, 
in  which  Mr.  Burbank  displayed  that  undaunted  bravery  which 
animated  him  in  all  subsequent  engagements.  Upon  the  retreat, 
he  carried  a  comrade — Holmes — on  his  back  for  a  long  distance, 
and  after  leaving  him  in  the  hospital,  picked  up  the  rifles  thrown 
away  by  others,  having  at  one  time  five  on  his  shoulders. 

During  the  fall  of  1861  the  regiment  was  stationed  at  Chika- 
moxen.  In  the  Peninsular  campaign  it  took  part  in  the  battle  of 
Williamsburg.  In  a  letter  to  his  brother  he  gives  an  account  of 
the  engagement : 

"  We  started  at  sunrise,  and  pushed  r.apidly  forward,  our  corps  tak- 
ing the  central  route, — Keyes  on  our  right  and  Sumner  on  our  left. 
Our  division  took  the  lead,  and  at  six  o'clock  we  were  in  sight  of  the 
rebel  entrenchments  before  AVilliamsburg.  The  action  soon  com- 
menced, and  as  the  day  progressed  grew  hotter,  till  by  noon  it  was  ab- 
solutely terrific.  Our  division,  the  rest  of  the  corjis  failing  to  come  up, 
had  to  withstand  the  whole  force  of  the  enemy's  centre;  and  right  val- 
iantly did  they  do  it,  as  the  record  of  tlie  day's  fight  will  show.  Four 
times  were  they  driven  back,  and  as  many  times  did  they  rally,  and  re- 
cover the  ground  they  had  lost.  Thus  the  battle  raged  till  four  o'clock, 
when  reinforcements  so  long  looked  for  at  last  arrived,  and  decided  the 
battle  in  our  favor,  when  the  enemy,  being  driven  hard  into  their  en- 
trenchments, and  darkness  settling  over  the  earth,  ended  hostilities  for 
the  day. 

"  To  add  to  our  hard  fighting,  it  rained  in  torrents  all  day,  and  the 
men  were  completely  drenched.      Many  of  the  men  when  they  went 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  327 

into  the  fight  threw  away  their  knapsacks,  and  without  any  shelter  you 
may  judge  that  our  situation  was  not  to  be  envied.  Still,  the  men 
were  resolute  in  their  determination  to  commence  the  fight  the  next 

morning. 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 

"  Yesterday  afternoon  I  took  a  stroll  over  the  battle-field,  and  the 
sight  that  met  my  eyes  was  sickening  in  the  extreme.  Friend  and  foe 
lay  side  by  side  in  scores.  Evidences  of  the  fierceness  of  the  fight  were 
everywhere  visible,  and  it  was  easy  to  trace  the  progress  and  success  of 
the  fight  by  the  too  visible  marks  of  the  strife.  Language  fails  me  to 
describe  the  appearance  of  a  battle-field  after  the  contest  is  over.  It 
must  be  seen  to  be  realized  to  its  full  extent." 

For  gallantry  at  "Williamsburg,  lie  was  made  a  corporal. 

Endowed  with  a  strong  constitution,  lie  passed  tlirough  all  tlie 
hardships  of  the  Peninsular  campaign,  doing  his  duties  whenever 
called  upon,  notwithstanding  the  malaria  of  the  Chickahominy. 
He  was  in  the  tliick  of  the  fight  at  the  second  Bull  Eun  battle,  in 
which  the  regiment  suffered  severely.  Defeat  had  followed  de- 
feat. The  soldiers  had  lost  confidence  in  the  management  of  the 
ami}'.     But  there  was  no  faltering  of  patriotism. 

In  a  letter  written  Oct.  30th,  1862,  is  this  outburst  of  loyalty  : 

"  I,  for  one,  nm  getting  heartily  sick  of  this  war,  and  the  way  it  is 
conduated.  The  fact  is,  there  has  been  blood  enough  spilled  and  lives 
enough  sacrificed  to  have  put  down  the  Rebellion  ere  this  if  rightly 
managed;  yet  I  do  not  wish  to  see  it  settled  in  any  other  way,  and 
willingly  devote  the  term  of  my  enlistment  to  attain  the  end  for  which 
the  war  was  commenced.  And  yet,  there  are  recreants  North  who 
would  advocate  a  compromise,  or  peace  on  any  terms, — who  would  even 
consent  to  sever  this  glittering  chain  of  strength  and  glory.  There  are 
traitor  knaves  who  would  lift  their  sacrilegious  hands  to  break  that 
whicli  God  hath  united,  which  man  must  not  sever.  Is  there  a  man 
now  who  dares  to  advocate  a  disunion  of  these  blood-brightened  links? 
Palsied  be  his  tongue  to  the  very  roof  of  his  mouth,  ere  he  can  croak 
out  one  word  of  disunion ! 

"  Pardon  tliis  flight  of  words;  but  I  feel  that  all  the  hindrances  are 
owing  to  this  class  of  persons." 

He  was  in  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  in  Franklin's  corps, 
where  the  regiment  suffered  severely.  In  the  battle  of  Gettys- 
burg, the  2d  K.  H.  was,  at  the  heginning  of  the  action  on  the 
second  day,  stationed  in  Sherfey's  peach  orchard,  behind  a  rail 
fence.     Upon   the  advance   of  Longstreet's  corps,  it  w^as  almost 


328  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY, 

the  first  regiment  to  open  fire.  Mr.  Burbank  fired  twice  at  the 
advancing  skirmishers.  After  the  second  sliot,  he  jumped  upon 
the  fence  to  see  its  effect,  Avhen  a  hall  went  through  one  of  his 
thighs,  shattering  the  bone,  and  he  fell  to  the  ground.  The  en- 
em}'  was  close  at  hand — 30,000  men  advancing  rapidl}'.  The 
whole  of  Sickle's  line,  in  which  was  the  2d  N.  H.,  was  forced 
hack,  and  Burbank  was  left  upon  the  field.  During  the  whole  of 
the  contest,  he  was  exjjosed  to  the  fire  of  both  armies.  His 
clothes  were  pierced  with  bullets.  A  wounded  comrade,  Ij'ing 
near  him,  had  his  head  taken  off  bj^  a  cannon  ball.  During 
the  night  of  Thursday  he  was  in  the  enemy's  hands  ;  but  they 
had  so  many  of  their  own  wounded  to  care  for  that  they  could 
pay  no  attention  to  the  Union  wounded. 

Through  the  contest  of  Friday  he  lay  there  upon  the  ground, 
exposed  to  the  terrible  storm  of  shot  and  shell.  On  Saturday 
afternoon  he  was  exposed  to  a  thunder-shower.  The  rain  })oured 
in  torrents.  He  soon  found  himself  in  a  pool.  The  water  ran 
till  it  covered  his  body,  and  he  could  only  keep  from  drowning  by 
propping  up  his  head  with  his  knapsack.  The  water  assuaged 
the  terrible  fever  that  had  set  in  from  his  wound,  and  quite  likely 
saved  his  life,  as  mortification  ere  long  must  have  set  in.  Upon 
the  retreat  of  the  enem}-,  Saturday  night,  he  was  taken  up  by  the 
ambulance  corps,  having  lain  where  he  fell  from  Thursday  after- 
noon, with  nothing  to  eat  but  the  few  crackers  in  his  knapsack. 

He  was  taken  to  the  hospital  at  Brattleborough,  Vt.,  where  he 
remained  till  his  wound  was  healed.  He  was  impatient  to  join 
his  regiment.  He  applied  to  be  sent  back,  but  the  surgeon 
would  not  give  him  permission,  thinking  he  was  not  well  enough. 

One  day  he  was  found  missing,  and  "deserter"  was  written 
against  his  name.  The  return  was  sent  to  the  colonel  of  the  regi- 
ment ;  but  before  it  reached  there,  Burbank  was  doing  his  duty  in 
the  ranks  as  picket,  having  voluntarily  retiirned.  His  colonel  or- 
dered him  into  his  presence,  and  condemned  him  to  have  an  addi- 
tional stripe  sewed  upon  his  right  arm,  advancing  him  to  tlie  rank 
of  sergeant.  Nothing  but  an  impediment  of  speech  debarred  him 
from  receiving  a  commission.  He  was  in  all  of  the  battles  of  the 
Wilderness  campaign  in  which  the  2d  N.  H.  took  part. 

On  the  ICth  of  May,  1864,  the  regiment  was  engaged  with  the 
enemy  in  front  of  Richmond,  when  Burbank,  who  was  in  adA'ance 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  329 

of  the  skinnisli  line,  found  himself  confronted  by  a  rolxd.  They 
were  but  a  few  rods  apart.  Both  raised  their  guns  and  fired  at 
the  same  instant.  The  rebel  fell  dead,  with  a  bullet  through  his 
brain,  while  the  ball  from  the  rebel's  gun  passed  through  Bur- 
bank's  cheek,  making  a  fearful  wound,  and  disfiguring  that  side 
of  liis  face.  He  was  taken  to  the  hospital,  and  mustered  out  of 
service,  June  21,  1864,  having  taken  part  in  more  than  thirty 
engagements. 

Without  any  disparagement  to  the  valor  or  bravery  of  others, 
it  may  be  said  that  he  was  one  of  the  bravest  of  the  brave.  He 
served  his  country  from  motives  of  pure  patriotism,  and  has  left 
an  imperishable  record. 

His  death,  which  occurred  in  Ma_y,  1866,  was  very  sad.  It  was 
from  small-pox,  in  the  hospital  at  Manchester.  Strangers  only 
could  care  for  him  in  his  last  hours  on  earth. 

He  married  IMiss  Louisa  Nichols,  who  died  before  the  war, 
leaving  one  child,  a  daughter,  now  living. 

BURBAXK,    FRIEND    L. 

Friend  Little  Burbank,  eldest  son  of  Capt.  Abraham  and 
Mary  (Call)  Burbank,  was  born  in  Boscawen,  Jan.  29,  1806.  He 
married  Dorothy  Jackman,  daughter  of  Joshua  Jackman,  of  Bos- 
cawen. He  engaged  with  his  father  in  the  occupation  of  lumber- 
ing. Through  life  he  has  followed  that  calling,  manufacturing 
many  millions  of  feet  in  the  mills  that  now  bear  his  name. 

His  fellow-citizens  have  honored  him  by  electing  him  repeat- 
edly to  manage  the  affairs  of  the  town,  and  to  represent  them  in 
the  legislature  [see  Town  Affairs']. 

BURBAXK,    DAVID    E. 

David  Emery  Burbank,  son  of  Capt.  Abraham  and  Polly 
(Jackman)  Burbank,  was  born  in  Boscawen,  May  16,  1822.  He 
married  Mary  Elliot,  of  Canterbury,  in  1845,  and  followed  the  oc- 
cupation of  merchant  at  Sweatt's  mills  for  several  j^ears.  He 
was  a  prominent  member  of  Boscawen  Light  Infantry,  and  was 
captain  of  the  corps  when  the  military  system  of  the  state  was 
disbanded,  in  1849-60. 

Upon  the  organization  of  Webster  he  was  elected  town-clerk, 


330  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

and  was  serving  in  tliat  capacity  when  lie  entered  the  military  ser- 
vice in  18G3. 

Upon  the  organization  of  the  16th  N.  H.  regiment,  he  was 
commissioned  first  lieutenant,  Company  H,  a  position  Avhich  he 
filled  with  honor  to  himself  and  his  fellow-citizens.  His  commis- 
sion was  issued  Nov.  4,  18G2.  The  regiment  was  ordered  to  the 
Department  of  the  Gulf  under  Gen.  Banks,  and,  though  not  en- 
gaged in  any  great  conflict,  performed  arduous  duties  on  the 
Mississippi,  at  Port  Hudson  and  other  localities.  Lieut.  Bur- 
banlv,  in  common  with  many  of  the  regiment,  was  prostrated  by 
sickness.  The  -post  physicians  could  hold  out  no  hope  for  his 
recovery  in  that  climate,  and  advised  his  return  to  the  North  as 
his  only  chance  for  recovery.  The  regiment  had  nearly  filled  its 
term  of  enlistment,  and  he  accordingly  resigned  his  commission, 
July  18,  1863. 

He  reached  home,  prostrated  by  disease.  The  fatigues,  hard- 
ships, and  malaria  had  so  undermined  a  hardy  constitution, 
that  many  months  passed  before  he  regained  his  health.  He  was 
appointed  postmaster  at  West  Boscawen  before  the  war,  and 
while  absent  Mrs.  Burbank  performed  the  duties  of  the  office,  and 
conducted  the  business  of  the  store. 

He  subsequently  moved  to  Norwich,  Vt.,  where  he  still  lives, 
engaged  in  milling. 

BURBANK,  EZEKIEL    W. 

Ezekiel  Webster  Burbank,  son  of  Capt.  Abraham  and  Polly 
(Jackman)  Burbank,  was  born  in  Boscawen,  June  16,  1829.  He 
married  Martha  Ann  Pillsbur}^,  daughter  of  Enoch  Pillsbury,  and 
resided  with  his  brother  on  the  homestead  in  Bashan. 

Upon  the  organization  of  the  16th  N.  H.  regiment  he  enlisted 
in  Company  H,  of  which  his  brother,  David  E.,  was  second  lieu- 
tenant. He  served  with  honor,  was  faithful  in  all  his  military 
duties,  as  in  everything  else.  He  soon  fell  a  victim  to  the  mala- 
ria of  the  Mississippi,  and  died  at  Brashea  Cit}',  May  27,  1863. 
His  was  a  character  that  won  respect  and  confidence.  He  was  a 
true  citizen  and  an  earnest  Christian. 

CALL,    OLOFF    HANSON,    REV., 

A  native  of  Warner,  became  a  resident  of  Boscawen  in  1840.  H!^e 
went  through  the  academical  course  at   Tilton  Conference  Semi- 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  ool 

nary,  and  tlie  theological  course  at  tlie  Concord  seminary,  and 
became  a  member  of  the  New  Hampshire  Conference  in  1854. 
Under  appointment  from  that  body,  he  preached  at  Haverhill,  Bath, 
Benton,  Warren,  Marlow,  Seabrook,  Salem,  Londonderr}',  New- 
marlvet,  and  at  Amesbury,  Mass.  He  moved  to  Kansas  in  1875, 
where  he  is  still  engaged  in  the  ministry. 

CALL,    ^rATHAX,    M.    D., 

Son  of  Silas  Call,  was  born  in  Boscawen  Sept.  25,  1827.  He  attend- 
ed the  common  school  on  North  Water  street,  but,  aside  from  a  terra 
or  two  at  an  academ}-,  had  no  other  literary  course.  He  began  the 
study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  E.  K.  Webster  on  the  Plain,  Feb.  20, 
1851,  attended  two  courses  of  lectures  at  Hanover  and  one  at 
Brunswick,  graduating  at  Hanover  in  1854.  He  attended  one 
course  of  lectures  at  the  New  York  Medical  College,  studied  dis- 
section with  Dr.  E.  H.  Parker,  then  of  Concord,  and  began  prac- 
tice with  Dr.  Webster  in  March,  1855,  when  he  was  appointed 
assistant  physician  at  the  N.  H.  Asylum  for  the  Insane,  at  Con- 
cord, under  the  superintendence  of  Dr.  J.  E.  Tyler.  His  duties 
were  acceptably  discharged  while  in  that  official  position.  In 
1859  he  returned  to  Boscawen  and  resumed  practice,  where 
he  remained  till  18G4,  when  he  removed  to  Suncook.  He  was 
married  in  1855  to  Miss  Charlotte  M.  Colby,  of  Contoocook,  was 
elected  secretary  of  the  N.  H.  Medical  Society  in  1862,  retaining 
the  position  till  1866.  He  died  at  Suncook,  June,  1875,  after  a 
brief  illness,  greatly  lamented.  In  early  life  he  connected  himself 
with  the  Christian  Baptist  church,  and  lived  a  life  consistent 
with  his  profession.  As  a  citizen  he  was  highly  esteemed,  and  as 
a  physician  occupied  a  high  rank. 

CALL,    WILLIAM    W. 

William  Walker  Call,  son  of  Lemuel  Call,  was  born  Jan.  13, 
1822.  He  worked  on  his  father's  farm  till  arriving  at  majority, 
having  no  educational  advantages  except  those  of  the  district 
school.  In  the  fall  of  1848,  while  residing  at  Lawrence,  Mass., 
he  read  in  the  Boston  Journal  the  first  report  of  the  discovery  of 
gold  in  California.  During  the  winter,  as  the  reports  of  the  richness 
of  the  deposits  were  confirmed,  he  determined  to  seek  his  fortune 
in  that  land.     In  company  with  his   brother  Jonas  and  Mr.  Bit- 


332  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

field  Burbank,  he  started  from  Boscawen  May  11.  Beaching 
New  York  he  found  tliere  %Yas  little  prospect  of  going  to  Cali- 
fornia by  the  Isthmus  of  Banama.  He  could  not  think  of  the  long 
ocean  voyage  around  Cape  Horn,  and  determined  to  push  west 
across  the  plains.  At  three  o'clock  on  the  day  after  his  arrival  in 
New  York  he  was  on  the  train,  with  his  companions,  for  Bitts- 
burgh.  Beaching  that  city,  he  took  passage  on  the  steamer  "Ben 
West,"  which  left  the  next  day  for  St.  Louis.  The  "  Ben  West " 
was  a  new  boat,  making  her  first  trip.  At  Cincinnati  a  fast 
steamer,  also  bound  for  St.  Louis,  came  alongside,  and  attempted 
to  pass  the  '■'  Ben  West."  The  result  was  a  race  the  entire  dis- 
tance, the  captains,  reckless  of  consequences,  feeding  the  furnaces 
till  the  flames  spouted  from  the  tops  of  the  chimneys.  The  new 
boat  won  the  race  by  several  hours.  Mr.  Call  was  quite  will- 
ing to  make  so  quick  a  passage,  as  it  bore  him  so  much  the  faster 
on  his  journey. 

At  St.  Louis,  he  and  his  companions  purchased  a  few  articles  of 
their  outfit,  and  embarked  by  steamer  up  the  Missouri.  The  boat 
was  crowded  with  Mormons.  The  cholera  broke  out,  and  the  l)oat 
stopped  several  times  to  burj^  the  dead.  Thirty-one  passengers 
died  in  two  and  one  half  days  between  St.  Louis  and  Independ- 
ence. The  party  from  Boscawen  had  the  wisdom  to  remain  on 
the  hurricane  deck  most  of  the  time,  and  thus  escaped  the  con- 
tagion. 

At  Independence  they  purchased  a  wagon  and  four  mules, 
and  loaded  the  wagon  with  provisions.  In  New  England  they 
had  been  accustomed  to  using  oxen  and  horses,  and  knew  nothing 
of  the  nature  of  mules ;  l;)ut  ere  long  they  discovered  that  a  mule 
has  a  nature  of  his  own — a  peculiar  nature,  a  propensity  to  kick 
wagons  into  kindling-wood,  to  stoji  when  he  is  so  inclined,  to 
set  firmlj^  back  in  the  harness  at  times.  The  mules  were  unbrok- 
en. To  control  them,  ropes  were  tied  around  the  necks  of  the 
leaders,  and  two  of  the  party  walked  by  their  side.  They 
started  Ma}^  22.  At  the  descent  of  the  first  hill,  the  mules,  in- 
stead of  holding  back,  broke  into  a  run.  In  vain  the  efforts  of  the 
men  holding  the  ropes  to  stop  them.  Down  the  hill  the}-  went, 
making  good  time  towards  California,  till  one  fell,  and  the  others 
piled  on  top  of  him,  and  the  wagon  above  them  all.  Then  the 
heels  flew.     In  a  few  seconds  there  were  some  kindling-wood  and 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  333 

strips  of  harness  lying  around  loose.  With  much  labor  the  jjile 
was  disentangled,  and  the  party  was  astonished  to  find  no  damage 
done  to  the  mules,  who  shook  tliemselves,  and  meekly  gazed  upon 
the  scene  as  if  nothing  in  particular  had  happened. 

Knowing  from  experience  that  oxen  were  conservative  in  their 
nature,  and  would  exercise  a  healthful  influence  upon  such  a,  team, 
one  of  the  party  returned  to  Independence,  purchased  a  yoke  of 
well-trained  steers,  hitched  them  to  the  team,  and  there  were  no 
more  stampedes  nor  settings  back  in  the  harness. 

The  party  joined  a  great  train  of  fellow-travellers,  experienced 
all  the  hardships  of  the  long  journey,  lasting  one  hundred  and 
two  days,  when  they  reached  Pleasant  valley  in  California  on 
Sept.  2. 

Mr.  Call  and  his  companions  took  up  a  claim  near  Weaverville, 
and  worked  till  driven  out  by  the  fall  rains,  when  they  made  their 
way  to  Sacramento.  The  yield  of  gold  was  about  $20  a  day. 
As  no  business  offered  at  Sacramento,  the  party  proceeded  to  San 
Francisco,  and  pitched  their  tent  at  the  foot  of  Mission  street,  ob- 
tained a  boat,  boarded  ships  as  they  arrived,  and  purchased  flour, 
potatoes,  and  other  provisions,  which  they  retailed  at  a  good  prof- 
it, returning  to  the  mines  in  the  spring. 

After  a  year  and  a  half  of  absence,  Mr.  Call  visited  Boscawen, 
and  removed  his  family  to  San  Francisco,  where  he  still  resides. 

CALL,    JOXAS, 

The  third  son  of  Lemuel  Call,  was  born  in  Boscawen,  April 
24,  1826.  He  attended  the  district  school,  and  by  dint  of  hard 
labor  was  able  to  attend  Blanchard  academy,  Pembroke,  ten 
weeks. 

Arriving  at  his  majority,  he  began  the  battle  of  life — taught 
school  in  winter,  and  worked  at  various  occupations  in  summer. 

When  the  news  was  received  of  the  discovery  of  gold  in  Cali- 
fornia, he  was  in  Maine.  Upon  the  receipt  of  a  letter  from  his 
brother  William,  at  Lawrence,  requesting  his  opinion  in  regard 
to  a  trial  of  their  fortunes  in  the  land  of  gold,  the  younger  brother 
instead  of  replying  by  letter,  answered  in  person,  ready  to  start 
at  once. 

Some  of  the  incidents  of  the  journey  are  set  forth  in  the  bio- 
graphical notice  of  his  brother  William. 


334  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

Mr.  Jonas  Call,  while  in  the  mines,  discovered  that  the  profits 
of  a  boarding-house — especially  one  for  miners,  where  the  hoarder 
settled  his  account  promptly — were  quite  as  great  in  the  long 
run  as  rocking  the  mining-cradle  ;  and  he  turned  his  attention  to 
that  business.  He  was  also  successful  in  mining.  He  saw,  also, 
that  San  Francisco  was  destined  to  be  a  great  metropolis,  and 
secured  a  plot  of  land  in  the  suburbs,  which  has  greatly  in- 
creased in  value. 

He  visited  the  East  after  an  absence  of  several  years,  and  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  A.  Stone,  of  Acton,  Mass.,  and  returned  to  Cali- 
fornia. 

Mr.  Call  again  visited  the  East,  and  took  up  his  residence  for 
one  season  on  the  old  homestead,  enjoying  rest  and  relaxation 
after  years  of  business  activity. 

He  returned  to  California  in  1873,  and  embarked  in  a  new 
mining  enterprise,  which  has  yielded  large  returns. 

During  the  reign  of  the  vigilance  committee  in  San  Francisco, 
when  the  law-and-order-abiding  citizens  took  possession  of  the 
city  government,  which  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  a  set  of 
thieves  and  murderers,  Mr.  Call  was  on  the  side  of  law.  He  shoul- 
dered his  rifle,  took  his  place  in  the  ranks,  and  aided  in  purging 
the  body  politic. 

CASS,     JOXATHAX. 

One  of  the  first  houses  built  west  of  Blackwater  river  was 
erected  by  Jonathan  Cass,  father  to  Hon.  Lewis  Cass.  He  moved 
from  Exeter  to  Boscawen,  and  settled  near  Long  pond,  on  the 
farm  now  occupied  by  the  venerable  David  Sweat.  The  cellar  is 
near  Mr.  Sweat's  house.  Mr.  Cass  was  a  blacksmith,  and  did  all 
the  smithing  for  the  entire  region.  He  was  an  upright  and  hon- 
orable man,  a  good  workman  and  citizen.       * 

Hon.  Lewis  Cass  was  born  in  Exeter,  and  never  lived  in  Bos- 
cawen. Mr.  Cass's  wife  died  in  Exeter,  and  he  having  married 
a  second  time  moved  to  Boscawen,  where  he  had  a  son,  Barnard, 
born  to  him,  who  moved  to  Muskingum,  Ohio. 

COFFIX,    PETER,     CAPT. 

He  was  born  in  Newbury,  May  21,  1722,  son  of  Jolm  and 
Judith  (Greenleaf)  Coffin,  and  was  a  nephew  of  Col.  Joseph  Coffin, 


on^aA 


^oJl 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  335 

clerk  of  tlie  proprietors  of  Contoocook.  He  married  Eebecca 
Haseltine,  of  Chester,  moved  to  Concord  in  1766,  and  to  Boscawen 
in  1768-69.  He  settled  on  Water  street,  erecting  the  house  oc- 
cupied through  life  by  his  son  Thomas. 

At  t]iat  time  there  were  but  two,  or,  at  the  most,  three,  houses 
in  what  is  now  the  town  of  Webster.  His  house  became  the  con- 
venient stopping-place  for  all  new  settlers.  Capt.  Coffin  soon 
had  corn  to  sell ;  and  no  matter  liow  scarce  the  grain,  or  how 
high  the  current  price,  he  never  made  a  man's  necessity  his  own 
opportunit3\     He  was  known  as  the  poor  man's  friend. 

He  had  no  desire  for  public  office,  and  when  chosen  constable, 
when  the  town  would  not  accept  his  declination,  hired  Benjamin 
Eastman  to  perform  his  duties. 

He  was  an  ardent  patriot  during  the  Eevolution,  and  although 
there  is  no  record  of  his  election  as  delegate  to  the  Provincial 
congress,  held  at  Exeter,  April  21,  1775,  yet  his  name  appears  on 
the  list  as  a  member  of  that  all-important  body.  He  served 
in  the  campaign  of  1777,  upon  the  approach  of  Burgoyne. 

He  was  ever  ready  to  support  the  religious  institutions  of  the 
day,  was  a  liberal,  large-liearted  man,  respected  and  beloved.  He 
died  suddenly,  Dec.  15,  1789. 

COFFIX,    REBECCA    H. 

Eebecca  Haseltine,  wife  of  Capt.  Peter  Coffin,  was  born  in 
Chester,  IST.  H.  She  was  married  in  the  fall  of  1768.  Dur- 
ing the  summer  Capt.  Coffin  had  erected  the  frame  of  a  house 
now  occupied  by  Mr.  Colb}',  on  Water  street.  The  masons  had 
constructed  the  chimney,  the  boards  and  shingles  were  on  the 
sides  and  roof,  and  the  south-west  corner  room  had  been  parti- 
tioned off,  when  the  young  bride,  seated  on  a  pillion  behind  her 
husband,  reached  her  future  home.  Their  house  was  on  the  fron- 
tier of  civilization.  Possibly  two  individuals  had  gone  l;)eyond 
them,  to  Corser  hill  and  Blackwater,  but  the  only  road  was  a  cart- 
path  over  the  rocks  and  hillocks,  corduroyed  upon  the  marshy 
places. 

The  newly  married  couple  were  beginning  life.  They  had  few 
household  articles, — a  bed,  kettle,  frying-pan,  wooden  or  pewter 
plates,  a  knife  and  fork  each,  and  a  few  other  household  articles, — 
all  of  which  were  packed  upon  a  led  horse ;  but  they  had  strong 


336  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

hands,  and  were  undaunted  by  the  hardships  and  trials  before 
them. 

While  the  husband  was  making  the  woods  bow  before  his 
sturdy  strokes,  the  wife  kept  the  wheel  humming  or  the  loom  in 
action  from  morn  till  night.  She  was  a  thrifty  woman,  looking 
ever  after  the  savings  as  well  as  the  earnings.  She  was  at  the 
same  time  liberal  and  kind,  relieving  the  wants  of  those  who  were 
having  a  hard  time  iii  life. 

Dea.  Enoch  Little,  who  often  when  a  boy  ate  a  bowl  of  bread 
and  milk  in  her  house,  was  accustomed  to  say,  that  if  it  had  not 
been  for  the  kindness  of  Capt.  and  Mrs.  Coffin,  his  father's  family 
wo;ild  have  found  it  hard  to  get  through  their  first  year  in 
Boscawen. 

Mrs.  Coffin  was  intenselj"  patriotic,  and  when  the  stamp  act  im- 
posed a  duty  on  tea,  she  resolutely  put  away  the  few  ounces  in 
her  caddy,  and  would  not  have  any  of  it  used  until  the  act  was 
repealed. 

In  1777,  when  the  order  came  for  Capt.  Peter  Kimball's  com- 
pany to  march  to  Bennington,  there  were  two  soldiers  who  had 
no  shirts  to  wear.  Mrs.  Coffin  had  a  web  partially  woven  in  the 
loom.  Seizing  her  shears  she  cut  out  Avhat  she  had  woven,  sat 
up  through  the  night,  and  made  two  shirts ;  and  in  the  morning 
the  soldiers,  thus  provided  for,  took  their  places  in  the  ranks. 

That  was  on  the  morning  of  July  4th.  On  the  15th  of  the 
same  month  she  gave  birth  to  her  second  son,  Thomas.  A  month 
passed.  On  the  16tli  of  August  the  victory  of  Bennington  was 
won.  Messengers  brought  the  glad  news,  and  Capt.  Coffin,  who 
had  been  out  in  a  previous  campaign,  started  once  more,  leaving 
his  energetic  wife  with  five  children, — the  oldest  a  boy  of  seven 
years,  the  youngest  an  infant  of  five  weeks. 

The  wheat  was  dead  ripe ;  the  birds  were  devouring  it ;  the 
winds  were  scattering  the  grains.  It  must  be  gathered  ; — but  who 
could  gather  it,  when  nearly  every  able-bodied  citizen  was  hasten- 
ing to  drive  back  the  enemy  ?  She  remembered  that  Enoch 
Little,  who  had  moved  to  Little  hill  a  few  months  before,  had  sev- 
eral sons,  for  she  had  supplied  them  with  bread  and  milk  the 
previous  summer,  while  Mr.  Little  was  rearing  his  cabin.  Pos- 
sibly she  might  obtain  one  of  the  boys.  She  leaves  the  four  old- 
est children  at  home,  in  the  care  of  the  eldest,  Enoch,  the  boy  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  337 

seven  years,  mounts  the  mare,  takes  Iier  infant  of  five  weeks  in 
her  arms,  rides  through  the  forest,  along  the  bhized  path,  fording 
Beaver-dam  brook,  climbing  Corser  hill,  fording  the  Blackwater, 
making  her  way  to  the  log  cabin  of  Mr.  Little,  to  find  that  the 
three  eldest  sons  are  in  the  army, — that  the  oiily  boy  who  can 
aid  her  is  Enoch,  fourteen  years  old. 

"  Enoch  can  go,  but  he  has  no  clothes,"  is  the  answer  of  Mrs. 
Little  to  Mrs.  Coffin's  request. 

The  boy  has  no  coat,  vest,  hat,  stockings,  or  shoes.  His  only 
garments  are  a  ragged  pair  of  tow-and-linsey  pants,  and  a  rag- 
ged shirt. 

"I  can  provide  him  with  a  coat,"  is  the  reply. 

The  boy  leaps  upon  the  pillion,  and  the  mother,  with  the  infant 
in  her  arms,  rides  back  through  the  forest  to  her  home. 

Enoch  Little  is  no  ordinary  boy.  He  hears  the  birds  in  the 
woods, — but  he  has  work  to  do,  and  plies  the  sickle,  while  Mrs. 
Coffin,  in  the  house,  is  making  him  a  coat.  She  has  no  cloth,  but 
she  has  a  meal-bag;  and  cutting  a  hole  for  his  head,  two  holes  for 
his  arms,  and,  sewing  on  the  legs  of  a  pair  of  her  own  long  stock- 
ings for  sleeves,  the  garment  is  complete  ! 

Then  going  into  the  field,  she  \njs  her  infant  beneath  the 
shade  of  a  tree,  and  binds  the  sheaves  !  So  she  serves  her  coun- 
try ;  so  does  what  she  can  for  human  freedom. 

She  survived  her  husband  many  years.  She  was  a  woman  of 
great  energy  of  character,  and  trained  her  sons  to  prize  character 
above  everything  else.     All  honor  to  her  memory. 

COFFIIS",    CHARLES    CARLETOX, 

Was  born  in  Boscawen  July  26, 1823,  son  of  Thomas  and  Hannah 
(Kilburn)  Coffin.  His  education,  beyond  the  advantages  of  the 
district  school,  Avas  obtained  at  the  academy  on  the  Plain,  and 
one  term  at  Blanchard  academy,  Pembroke.  During  the  winter 
of  1842,  more  for  pastime  than  from  any  plan  for  the  future,  he 
studied  land  surveying  and  the  rudiments  of  civil  engineering. 
The  time  soon  came  when  the  slight  knowledge  thus  obtained 
could  be  turned  to  account.  He  joined  the  engineers'  corps 
in  the  preliminary  surveys  of  the  Northern  Eailroad  in  1845,  and 
was  employed  upon  its  construction  in  1846,  also  upon  the  pre- 
22 


338  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

liminary  survey  of  the  Concord  &  Portsmouth  road,  and  later 
upon  the  Concord  &  Claremont. 

He  was  married  Feb.  18,  1846,  to  Miss  Sallie  Russell  Farmer, 
daughter  of  Col.  John  Farmer,  and  sister  of  Prof.  Moses  G.  Far- 
mer. He  purchased  a  farm  on  Pleasant  street,  now  owned  by 
Mr.  Tyler  Sweatt,  but  health  failing,  decided  to  turn  his  attention 
to  other  pursuits.  This  determination  was  brought  about  by  the 
favor  with  which  some  fugitive  contributions  to  the  newspapers 
of  the  day  were  received  by  the  public.  His  first  article  was  pub- 
lished in  1845,  in  the  Congregational  Journal.,  published  in  Con- 
cord. He  contributed  to  the  Granite  Farmer,  printed  at  Man- 
chester, and  to  the  New  Hampshire  Statesman  /  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  N.  H.  State  Agricultural  Society,  and  an  active 
member. 

In  the  fall  of  1849,  Mr.  Coffin  constructed  a  telegraph  line  con- 
necting the  Astronomical  Observatorj^  of  Harvard  College  in  Cam- 
bridge with  the  telegraph  lines  in  Boston,  for  the  purpose  of  put- 
ting it  in  connection  with  other  observatories ;  and  in  1851  had 
charge  of  the  construction  of  the  telegraphic  fire-alarm  for  the  city 
of  Boston,  under  the  care  of  Prof.  M.  G.  Farmer,  and  gave  the 
first  alarm  ever  given  by  telegraph,  April  29,  1852. 

While  performing  these  duties  he  found  time  to  continue  his 
contributions  to  the  press.  Some  stories  entitled  "  The  Old  Man's 
Meditations,"  contributed  to  the  Boston  Traveller,  may  be  found 
in  Littell's  Living  Age,  1852.  Some  lines, — "  Death  at  Sunset," 
— contributed  to  the  Knickerhocher ,  have  become  one  of  the 
selections  of  lyceum  readers.  Many  of  his  contributions  at  this 
time  were  to  the  Boston  Museum,  a  literary  journal.  He  occa- 
sionally reported  meetings  and  agricultural  fairs  for  the  daily 
press,  and  was  employed  as  assistant  editor  of  the  Practical  Far- 
mer, an  agricultural  journal  conducted  by  Col.  Wm.  S.  King. 

From  1854  to  1860  Mr.  Coffin  was  employed  on  several  of  the 
newspapers  published  in  Boston, — the  Journal,  Atlas,  Traveller, 
Bee^  and  Transcript, — and  during  the  winter  of  1860-61  was 
employed  as  night  editor  of  the  Boston  Journal.  The  Southern 
states  were  then  seceding,  the  peace  congress  was  in  session,  and 
Mr.  Coffin,  during  the  long  hours  of  the  night,  had  time  for 
reflection  upon  the  events  of  the  hour,  and  saw,  what  all  men  did 
not  see,  that  a  conflict  of  arms  was  approaching.     He  was  then  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  339 

resident  of  Maiden,  and,  the  morning  after  the  surrender  of  Fort 
Sumter,  took  measures  for  the  calling  of  a  public  meeting  of  the 
citizens  of  that  town  to  sustain  the  President, — one  of  the  first 
of  the  meetings  held  throughout  the  country. 

Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  Mr.  Coffin  became  a  corre- 
spondent of  the  Journal,  writing  over  the  signature  of  "  Carleton," 
was  present  at  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  reached  Washington 
during  the  night,  and  sent  a  full  account  of  the  action  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning. 

In  the  fall  he  joined  the  Army  of  the  West,  sent  an  account  of 
the  taking  of  Fort  Henry,  which  was  republished  in  the  papers  of 
New  York,  Philadelphia,  and  Baltimore,  before  any  other  account 
was  published.  Comprehending  the  craving  of  the  public  for 
information,  and  the  importance  of  having  his  correspondence 
appear  before  any  other,  he  took  the  first  train  from  Cairo,  wrote 
his  account  in  the  cars,  which  when  completed  was  placed  in  the 
hands  of  an  express  messenger,  while  the  Avriter  returned  to  his 
post  of  observation.  By  adopting  this  method,  the  Boston  Jour- 
nal was  placed  ahead  of  all  its  contemporaries,  and  published  the 
account  two  days  before  any  other  paper  in  the  country  heard 
from  its  correspondent. 

Mr.  Coffin  was  at  the  surrender  of  Fort  Donelson,  reported  the 
movements  of  the  Army  of  the  West  from  Pittsburg  Landing  to 
Corinth,  the  operations  at  Island  No.  10,  New  Madrid,  Fort  Pil- 
low, and  the  battle  of  the  gunboats  at  Memphis,  viewing  it  from 
the  deck  of  one  of  Admiral  Davis's  vessels. 

Returning  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  he  witnessed  the  battles 
of  Antietam  and  Fredericksburg.  Knowing  that  a  powerful  fleet 
of  monitors  was  on  its  way  to  attack  Fort  Sumter,  he  visited  the 
Department  of  the  South,  and  witnessed  the  attack  and  repulse, 
and  also  the  failure  at  Fort  McAllister. 

During  twelve  days  of  the  Gettysburg  campaign,  Mr.  Coffin  rode 
between  250  and  300  miles  in  the  saddle,  more  than  900  in  the 
cars,  was  on  the  battle-field  three  days  and  nights,  and  wrote  a  full 
and  elaborate  account,  which  was  republished  in  many  papers 
throughout  the  country,  and  was  translated  and  copied  by  the 
press  of  Berlin  and  Paris. 

When  Gen.  Sherman  reached  the  sea-coast  Mr.  Coffin  hastened 
South,  and  the  information  that  the  flag  of  the  Union  was  once 


340  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

more  floating  over  Sumter  was  first  given  to  the  world  through 
the  Journal,  and  was  telegraphed  over  the  country  before  any 
paper  in  New  York  had  possession  of  tlie  intelligence. 

In  the  campaign  of  18G4,  the  JournaV s  correspondent  was  an 
eye-witness  of  everj^  engagement  from  the  Wilderness  to  Peters- 
burg, and  of  nearly  all  the  battles  around  Petersburg  and  Rich- 
mond, which  city  he  entered  upon  its  occupation  by  the  Union 
troops. 

The  correspondence  of  Mr.  Coffin  was  accepted  by  the  public 
as  authentic,  and  gave  the  Boston  Journal  a  wide  circulation. 
The  edition  containing  the  account  of  the  battle  of  Gettysbixrg  ex- 
ceeded one  hundred  and  twent}^  thousand  copies,  while  the  daily 
circulation  not  unfrequently  reached  eighty  thousand.  His  letters 
were  regularly  read  by  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  million  of  people. 

Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  between  Austria,  on  the  one 
side,  and  Prussia  and  Italy  on  the  other,  in  1866,  Mr.  Coffin,  ac- 
companied by  Mrs.  Coffin,  sailed  for  Europe  ;  but  Austria,  having 
been  crippled  by  the  single  battle  of  Konnigratz,  a  truce  was  de- 
clared. Mr.  Coffin  remained  abroad,  however,  writing  a  series 
of  letters  on  current  events.  He  visited  Italy  ;  saw  the  occupation 
of  Venice  by  the  Italians  ;  reported  the  Paris  exhibition  of  1866  ; 
reported  the  scenes  in  the  House  of  Parliament  in  England  on 
the  reform  bill;  was  present  at  the  coronation  of  the  empe- 
ror of  Austria  as  king  of  Hungary ;  made  the  acquaintance 
of  many  of  the  public  men  of  Europe ;  visited  Greece,  Turkey, 
Syria,  Palestine,  and  Egjq^t ;  embarked  at  Suez  for  Bombay ; 
travelled  across  India,  before  the  completion  of  the  railroad  ;  vis- 
ited Malacca,  Singapore,  Hong  Kong,  and  Shanghai ;  sailed  up 
the  Yang-tse  six  hundred  miles  ;  visited  Japan ;  crossed  the  Pa- 
cific to  California ;  and  crossed  the  plains  before  the  completion  of 
the  Pacific  Eailroad, — having  been  absent  two  years  and  five 
months.     His  corresjiondence  dui-ing  these  years  was  widely  read. 

Of  books,  Mr.  Coffin  has  published  ''  My  Days  and  Nights  on 
the  Battle-Eield,"  issued  1863;  ''Following  the  Flag,"  1865; 
"Winning  his  Way,"  1865  ;  "  Pour  Years  of  Fighting,"  1866  ; 
"Our  New  Way  Eoimd  the  World,"  1869;  "The  Seat  of  Empire," 
1871;  "Caleb  Krinkle,"  1874;  "The  Boys  of  '76,"  1876.  Another 
volume,  "  The  Story  of  Liberty,"  will  be  issued  in  the  spring  of 
1878. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 


341 


The  honorary  degree  of  A.  M.  was  conferred  upon  him  by 
Amherst  college  in  1870.  He  is  an  active  member  of  the  New 
England  Genealogical  and  Historical  Society,  and  has  contributed 
to  the  library  of  that  institution  many  valuable  manuscripts  re- 
lating to  the  late  Rebellion.  He  has  been  elected  a  member  of  the 
American  Geographical  Society,  honorary  member  of  the  N.  H. 
Historical  Society,  and  member  of  the  American  Association  for 
the  Advancement  of  Science. 

He  has  made  many  addresses  on  public  occasions,  and  given 
more  than  five  hundred  lectures  before  lyceums.  He  gave  the 
centennial  oration  in  his  native  town,  July  4,  187G,  and  at  the 
request  of  his  fellow-citizens  has  compiled  the  history  of  Boscawen 
and  Webster.  . 

COFFIN,    NEHEMIAH    C. 

Nehemiah  Cogswell  Coffin,  son  of  Moses  and  Susanna  (Farnum) 
Coffin,  was  born  March  24,  1815.  He  prepared  for  college  at 
Meriden  academy,  graduated  at  Dartmouth  in  1836,  taught  the 
academy  at  Wolfeborough  two  years,  studied  theology  at  Andover, 
Mass.,  and  at  Lane  Seminary,  Cincinnati,  was  ordained  pastor  of 
the  Presbyterian  church.  Fearing,  Ohio,  Sept.  10,  1843.  From 
thence  he  removed  to  Bremen,  Ohio,  where  he  preached  two  years, 
and  from  thence  to  Hebron,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  six  years. 

In  1851  he  became  connected  with  the  female  seminary  at 
Granville,  and  was  pastor  at  Piqua,  Ohio,  from  1852  to  1860. 
His  health  failing,  he  removed  to  Marblehead,  near  Sandusky, 
and  gave  his  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  the  grape,  thinking 
by  rural  occupation  to  regain  his  health.  He  married  Miss  Susan 
Rust,  of  Wolfeborough  [see  Gen.].  He  died  Jan.  9,  1868,  after 
a  life  of  much  usefulness,  lamented  by  all  who  knew  him. 

COKSER,    REV.    ENOCH, 

Was  born  in  Boscawen  Jan.  2,  1787.  He  was  the  son  of  David 
Corser,  and  great-great-grandson  of  John,  who  (as  is  believed)  was 
born  in  Scotland  in  1678,  emigrated  to  this  country  about  1690 
[see  Gen.]. 

Possessing  an  active  intellect  and  a  natural  fondness  for  study, 
Enoch  Corser  early  decided  to  obtain  a  liberal  education.  After 
a  term  of  study  at  Salisbury  academy,  he    completed    his    pre- 


342  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

paratory  course  under  the  tuition  of  Rev.  Samuel  Wood,  was  ad- 
mitted to  Middlebury  college,  Vt.,  1807,  and  graduated  in  1811. 

Ul^on  leaving  college  he  opened  a  grammar  school  in  Danvers, 
Mass.,  following  the  occupation  two  and  a  half  years,  Avhen  he  be- 
gan the  study  of  theology  with  Rev.  Walter  Harris,  d.  d.,  of 
Dunbarton,  and  in  the  following  year,  1815,  was  licensed  to 
preach.  After  some  months  of  labor  at  Middleton,  Mass.,  and 
Colebroolv,  N.  H.,  he  began  preaching  in  Loudon,  where  he  was 
settled  in  March,  1817.  In  the  following  May  he  married  Miss 
Sally  Gerrish,  daughter  of  Col.  Joseph  Gerrish,  of  Boscawen. 

He  remained  in  Loudon  till  1837,  when,  after  preaching  a  short 
time  at  Meredith  Village,  he  accepted  a  situation  with  the  church 
at  Sanbornton  Bridge,  preaching  jis  "stated  supply,"  teaching 
also  a  part  of  the  time  in  the  academy  till  1843.  During  the  fol- 
lowing year  he  supplied  the  church  at  Plymouth,  and  at  Lyndon, 
Vt.  In  1845  he  began  pastoral  labor  at  Epping,  where  he  re- 
mained till  1848,  when  he  removed  to  Boscawen,  supplying  the 
pulpit  at  Fislierville  and  other  places. 

In  1850,  while  fulfilling  an  engagement  at  Warner,  he  was 
prostrated  by  paralysis,  but  from  which  he  recovered,  and  began 
preaching  again  in  his  old  parish  in  Loudon,  where  he  remained 
two  years,  till  prostrated  by  sickness.  He  continued  to  reside 
in  Boscawen  till  his  death,  Jan.  17,  1868. 

He  was  a  man  of  great  intellectual  ability,  rarely  wrote  his  dis- 
courses, was  earnest,  forcible,  and  at  times  eloquent  in  the  pre- 
sentation of  truth,  an  excellent  pastor,  and  beloved  by  those  who 
attended  upon  his  ministrations. 

CORSER,    CALEB    B.,    COL. 

He  was  the  second  son  of  David  and  Judith  (Burbank)  Corser, 
and  was  born  in  Boscawen  Oct.  14,  1803.  His  father's  family 
emigrated  to  western  New  York,  1821,  and  settled  first  near 
Canandaigua,  and  from  thence  removed  to  Ogden,  Monroe  county. 
He  was  united  in  marriage,  1828,  to  Henrietta  S.  Spencer,  of 
Spencerport,  who  died  in  1840.  His  second  wife  was  R.  Maria 
Chapman,  of  East  Haddam,  Conn.,  who  survives  him. 

He  was  a  farmer,  but  was  elected  a  magistrate,  and  during  his 
term  of  office,  which  continued  for  more  than  twenty  years,  none 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  343 

of  liis  decisions  were  overruled  by  a  higher  court.  One  marked 
feature  was  his  promptness  in  the  discharge  of  every  duty.  His 
word  was  as  good  as  his  bond.  He  was  alive  to  all  progressive 
movements,  plain  in  his  manner  of  life,  and  liberal  in  his  benefac- 
tions. 

During  the  outbreak  upon  the  Canadian  frontier  he  commanded 
a  regiment  of  riflemen,  but  there  was  no  occasion  for  actual  ser- 
vice. He  was  often  called  upon  to  serve  the  public  as  a  member 
of  the  state  assembly.  In  1863  he  settled  in  Rochester,  where 
he  died  •April  26,  1875,  honored  and  respected  by  his  fellow- 
citizens. 

CHANDLER,    ABIEL    R. 

Abiel  Rolfe  Chandler  was  born  in  Boscawen  Aug.  25,  1805,  son 
of  Nathan  and  Jane  (Rolfe)  Chandler.  He  married  Eliza  J.  Mor- 
rison, of  Boscawen,  and  settled  on  a  farm  west  of  Fisherville.  He 
was  several  years  selectman  and  representative  [see  Town  Offi- 
cers]. In  1852  he  moved  to  Lawrence,  accepting  a  situation  in 
the  employ  of  the  Essex  company,  where  he  still  resides  [see 
Gen.]. 

COGSWELL,    JOHN    C, 

Came  to  Boscawen  at  the  date  of  his  first  marriage,  N'ovember, 
1821,  purchased  the  place  now  owned  by  T.  P.  Raymond,  and  es- 
tablished himself  in  the  business  of  tanning  and  currying,  in  which 
he  was  eminently  successful.  He  was  a  vahiable  and  highly 
es.teemed  citizen,  holding  during  his  life  several  town  offices  of  re- 
sponsibility. His  death  occurred  Jan.  14,  1841.  He  was  a  lineal 
descendant  of  Lord  Humphrey  Cogswell,  an  English  nobleman  of 
the  fifteenth  century,  and  of  John  Cogswell,  a  London  merchant, 
who  came  to  this  country  in  1635,  and  settled  in  Essex,  Mass., 
then  called  Chebacco,  where  many  of  his  descendants  now  reside. 

CURRIER,    MOODY,  HON., 

Was  born  in  Boscawen,  April  22,  1806.  At  an  early  age  his 
parents  moved  to  Dunbarton,  and  thence  to  Bow,  where  his  early 
years  were  passed  on  a  farm,  attending  the  district  school  about 
six  weeks   during  the  winter.     He  had  an  insatiable   desire  for 


344  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

information,  and  devoured  all  the  books  lie  could  lay  liis  hands  on, 
reading  through  the  long  winter  evenings  Ly  the  light  of  a  pitch- 
pine  knot,  or  a  tallow  candle. 

He  fitted  for  college  at  Hopkinton  academy,  and  graduated  at 
Dartmouth  in  1834. 

Soon  after  leaving  college  he  taught  school  in  Concord,  and,  in 
company  with  Plon.  Asa  Fowler,  edited  the  Neio  Hampshire  Lit- 
erary Gazette.  He  w^as  afterwards  principal  of  the  Hopkinton 
academy  for  one  year,  and  in  18.36  became  principal  of  the  higli 
school  at  Lowell,  Mass.  He  held  that  position  for  five  y(#ir3,  and 
in  1841  removed  to  Manchester,  where  he  has  since  continued  to 
reside.  During  his  residence  at  Hopkinton  and  Lowell  he  stud- 
ied lav>',  and  on  going  to  Manchester  was  admitted  to  the  bar, 
and  became  a  law  partner  with  Hon.  George  W.  Morrison.  In 
1842  he  purchased  an  intei-est  in  a  Aveekl}^  newspaper,  the  Man- 
chester Democrat,  and  devoted  a  part  of  his  time  to  editorial 
labors  for  about  a  year.  His  partnership  with  Mr.  JMorrison  was 
dissolved  in  1843,  but  he  continued  in  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion independently  until  1848.  In  that  year  the  iVmoskeag  Bank 
was  organized,  and  he  became  its  cashier,  and  has  continued  in 
the  banking  business  since  that  time. 

Upon  the  organization  of  the  Amoskeag  Savings  Bank,  in  1852, 
he  became  its  treasurer,  and  still  holds  the  office.  When  the 
Amoskeag  National  Bank  was  orgaiiized  to  succeed  the  old  Amos- 
keag Bank,  in  1864,  he  became  its  president.  He  has  been  a  di- 
rector in  the  People's  Bank  at  Manchester  since  it  was  organized, 
in  1874 ;  a  director  in  the  Blodgett  Edge  Tool  Company  during 
the  existence  of  the  corporation ;  president  and  treasurer  of  the 
Amoskeag  Axe  Company  since  its  organization,  in  1862  ;  a  direc- 
tor in  the  Manchester  Gas  Light  Company  since  1862  ;  a  director 
in  the  INIanchester  Mills  since  the  organization  of  the  corporation, 
in  1874 ;  treasiirer  of  the  Concord  &  Portsmouth  Railroad  Com- 
pany since  18o6  ;  treasurer  of  the  Concord  Railroad  Compan}^  in 
1871  and  1872 ;  and  is  now  treasurer  of  the  New  England  Loan 
Company,  and  president  of  the  Eastern  Railroad  Company  in  New 
Hampshire. 

He  was  clerk  of  the  New  Hampshire  senate  in  1843  and  1844, 
and  was  elected  a  member  of  that  body  from  the  third  district  in 
1856  and  1857,   and  was  president  of  the  senate  in  the  latter 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  345 

year.  He  was  elected  councillor  in  ISGO  and  1S61,  and  was  chair- 
man of  the  war  committee  of  the  council  during  the  first  fifteen 
months  of  the  war  of  the  Rebellion.  In  that  position  he  exhib- 
ited great  ability  and  energy,  and  rendered  efficient  service  to  the 
state  and  the  nation.  He  entered  with  his  whole  soul  into  the 
business  of  raising  and  equipping  troops,  and  won  great  praise 
from  all  parties  for  his  efforts  in  this  direction.  Tlie  first  eight 
regiments  of  infantry,  the  1st  New  Hampshire  Battery,  together 
with  four  companies  of  cavalry  and  three  companies  of  sharp- 
shooters, were  organized,  equipped,  and  sent  to  the  front  with  the 
utmost  despatch,  while  Mr.  Currier  was  at  the  head  of  the  Avar 
committee.  In  compliment  to  him,  the  rendezvous  of  the  Sth  Reg- 
iment at  Manchester  was  named  "Camp  Currier." 

Mr.  Currier  has  been  three  times  married.  His  first  wife  was 
Miss  Lucretia  Dustin,  to  whom  he  was  married  December  8,  1836. 
His  second  wife,  to  whom  he  was  married  September  5,  1847,  was 
Miss  Mary  W.  Kidder.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Hannah  A. 
Slade,  his  present  wife,  November  16,  1869. 

He  has  had  three  children,  one  of  whom,  Charles  M.  Currier, 
survives,  and  is  the  teller  of  the  Amoskeag  National  Bank. 

Mr.  Currier  has  an  ardent  temperament,  and  versatile  talent. 
His  practical  judgment  is  shown  in  the  success  of  the  banking  in- 
stitutions which  he  has  managed  for  many  years,  and  also  in  the 
success  of  the  various  other  enterprises  with  which  he  has  been 
connected  in  an  official  capacity.  He  is  methodical  and  cautious 
in  his  habits,  and  has  always  sustained  the  reputation  of  being 
honorable  and  upright  in  all  his  business  relations. 

He  maintains  a  high  rank  as  a  scholar,  and,  unlike  many  other 
men  who  have  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  a  liberal  education,  he 
has  throughout  his  whole  life  taken  a  strong  interest  in  the  study 
of  literature,  science,  and  philosophy.  He  retains  a  taste  for  the 
ancient  classics,  and  is  quite  familiar  with  the  French,  German,  and 
several  other  modern  languages ;  he  has  Avritten  many  pieces  of 
poetry,  at  intervals  of  leisure,  which  are  very  creditable  in  taste 
and  composition.  He  is  an  independent  thinker  upon  all  sub- 
jects, and,  though  he  is  decided  in  his  convictions  and  frank  in 
the  avowal  of  his  opinions,  cherishes  a  tolerant  spirit,  and  en- 
tertains the  highest  respect  for  those  with  whom  he  is  obliged  to 
differ. 


346  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

By  industry  and  prudence  lie  has  acquired  a  handsome  fortune, 
and  ]iis  residence  is  a  model  of  taste.  He  is  liberal  in  his 
gifts  to  worthy  objects,  and  especially  to  those  which  relate  to  in- 
tellectual culture.  In  1876  he  presented  to  the  Manchester  city 
library  upwards  of  seven  hundred  volumes  of  valuable  boohs, — 
standard,  classical,  illustrated,  ecclesiastical,  and  scientific.  These 
books  were  numbered  and  classed  in  the  catalogue  of  the  library 
as  the  "  Currier  donation."  In  acknowledgment  of  this  generous 
gift,  resolutions  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Currier  were  passed  in  both 
hranches  of  the  city  government,  and  by  the  hoard  of  trustees  of 
the  city  library. 

He  has  been  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  Unitarian  society 
of  Manchester,  and  one  of  its  most  liberal  benefactors. 

DIX,    TIMOTHY,    LIEUT.-COL. 

The  subject  of  this  notice,  after  having  passed  several  years  as 
a  clerk  in  the  mercantile  house  of  Col.  Means,  at  Amherst,  N.  H., 
settled  in  Boscawen  with  his  father,  Timothy  Dix,'and  his  grand- 
father, Jonathan  Dix,  about  the  year  1790.  The  latter  died  in 
Boscawen  at  the  age  of  94  years,  and  his  son  at  Pembroke, 
in  1824,  at  the  age  of  73.  Timothy  Dix,  Sr.,  the  father  of 
Col.  Dix,  was  for  several  years  post-master  on  Boscawen  Plain, 
and  is  noticed  in  the  historical  collections  of  the  state  as  distin- 
guished for  "  integrity,  faithfulness,  firmness,  promptitude,  deci- 
sion, and  strong  attachment  to  the  cause  of  his  country." 

He  raised  a  company  of  soldiers  during  the  Revolutionary  war, 
and  was  familiarly  known  during  his  life  as  Lieut.  Dix. 

Col.  Timothy  Dix  was  a  man  of  great  activity  and  enterprise, 
and  gave  a  vigorous  impulse  to  improvements  in  the  town,  and 
particularl}'  in  the  village  of  his  residence,  known  as  Boscawen 
Plain. 

The  character  of  the  district  school,  which  was  far  in  advance 
of  most  others  at  that  period,  was  largely  due  to  his  earnest  and 
persevering  efforts.  The  teachers  were  usually  engaged  by  him, 
and  were  selected  with  a  careful  regard  to  their  talents  and  social 
standing.  Among  them  were  Gen.  Fessenden,  of  Portland,  Me., 
father  of  the  late  senator  from  that  state,  and  the  accomplished 
Grace  Fletcher,  the  first  wife  of  Daniel  Webster. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 


347 


While  Col.  Dix  was  engaged  in  mercantile  transactions,  on  an 
extended  scale  for  a  country  merchant,  he  purchased  a  township 
in  the  northern  part  of  the  state,  which  hears  his  name,  and 
which  has  recently  hecoine  renowned  for  its  hold  and  romantic 
scenery.  By  the  terms  of  the  sale,  he  was  to  make  certain  im- 
provements within  a  given  time ;  but  in  consequence  of  severe 
losses  in  his  business,  caused  chiefly  by  the  embargo  during  the 
administrations  of  Jefferson  and  Madison,  he  was  unable  to  fulfil 
his  engagements,  and  the  ownership  of  the  town  passed  into  other 
hands. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  war  of  1812,  he  was  appointed  a 
major  in  a  New  Hampshire  regiment,  and  was  soon  afterwards 
transferred  to  the  14th  Regiment  of  U.  S.  Infantry,  a  battalion  of 
which  was  recruited  under  his  superintendence,  in  Maryland. 

Early  in  the  spring  of  1813  he  marched  from  Baltimore  to 
Sackett's  Harbor  with  the  troops  he  had  raised,  and  in  the  fall  of 
that  year  he  was  pi-omoted  to  the  rank  of  lieutenant-colonel,  the 
colonel  having  been  captured  by  the  enemy  on  the  Niagara  fron- 
tier.    He  took  command  of  the  entire  regiment. 

He  had  been  prostrated  by  fever  during  the  summer,  and  was 
offered  the  command  of  Sackett's  Harbor  by  Gen.  Wilkinson,  when 
the  latter  was  organizing  his  expedition  down  the  St.  Lawrence 
against  Montreal,  and  though  strongly  solicited  by  physicians  to 
remain,  he  refused  to  give  up  command  of  his  regiment,  which 
formed  a  part  of  the  expedition. 

In  the  descent  of  the  St.  Lawrence  it  constituted  the  rear 
guard  of  the  army,  which  was  encamped  on  the  Canadian  bank  of 
the  river,  near  Chrystler's  fields,  on  the  10th  of  October.  Early  in 
the  morning  it  was  attacked  by  a  fleet  of  British  gunboats,  which 
hung  upon  the  rear  of  the  American  forces,  and  brought  on  the 
battle  on  the  11th.  He  had  the  day  before  been  seized  with  a  vio- 
lent inflammatory  attack  of  pneumonia,  and  was  borne  by  his 
son,  John  A.  Dix,  and  two  other  officers  of  his  regiment,  under  the 
fire  of  the  enemy,  to  his  boat,  in  which  he  died  two  days  after- 
wards. 

Col.  Dix  Avas  not  onlj^  a  man  of  excellent  business  capacity,  of 
unconquerable  determination  in  all  he  undertook,  and  of  indefati- 
gable industry,  but  he  was  an  accomplished  draughtsman,  a  taste- 
ful musician,  and  a  leader  among  his  fellow-citizens   in  all  intel- 


348  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

lectual  pursuits  and  undertakings.  His  descendants  have  inher- 
ited his  fondness  for  mental  and  personal  accomplishments,  and 
some  of  them  have  acquired  a  distinguished  reputation  in  the 
field,  in  the  forum,  in  literature,  and  in  the  fine  arts.  He  was  a 
man  of  fine  presence,  of  remarkably  courteous  and  gentlemanly 
bearing,  and  carried  into  his  intercourse  with  others  a  degree  of 
frankness  and  freedom  from  assumption  which  won  for  him  the 
kind  feeling  of  those  with  whom  he  was  associated.  He  was  for 
several  years  the  representative  in  the  legislature  of  the  town 
which  he  had  greatly  benefited  by  his  enterprise  and  by  the  special 
exertions  which  he  made  to  promote  the  interests  of  education. 

DIX,    JOHX    ADAMS,    GOV. 

John  Adams  Dix  was  born  in  Boscawen,  IST.  H.,  on  the  24th  day 
of  Jul}',  A.  D.  1798.  His  father,  CoL  Timothy  Dix,  Jr.,  was  one  of 
the  most  enterprising  citizens  of  the  town.  His  grandfather,  Timo- 
thy Dix,  is  still  remembered  hj  some  of  the  survivors  of  the  period 
as  an  u])right  and  intelligent  man,  and  as  post-master  for  many 
years.  His  great-grandfather,  Jonatlian  Dix,  died  in  tlie  village 
at  the  age  of  94. 

John  Adams  Dix,  when  ten  years  of  age,  was  placed  under  the 
tuition  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Wood,  by  whom  many  of  the  first  3'oung 
men  in  the  state  of  New  Hampshire  were  trained  in  classical  lit- 
erature for  college.  The  following  year  he  was  sent  to  Salisbury 
academy,  of  which  Col.  Long,  afterwards  an  eminent  topographical 
engineer  in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  was  preceptor.  In 
1810  he  became  a  student  at  Exeter  academy,  during  the  presi- 
dency of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Abbot,  and  there  continued  his  classical 
studies.  In  both  those  institutions  he  gave  promise  of  the  dis- 
tinction which  he  gained  in  after  years  as  a  public  speaker.  At 
the  commencement  of  the  year  1811  his  father  sent  him  to  a  col- 
lege in  Montreal,  for  the  purpose  of  acquiring  the  French  language, 
where  he  remained  until  July,  1812.  In  that  month  all  Americans 
upwards  of  fourteen  3'ears  of  age  were  ordered  to  leave  Canada,  in 
consequence  of  the  declaration  of  war  by  the  United  States  against 
Great  Britain.  From  July  to  December  he  continued  his  studies 
under  private  tutors  in  Boston,  and  made  rapid  progress  in  Latiu; 
Greek,  Spanish,  mathematics,  and  elocution. 


v^ 


M.-'vJ  GE^'- JUHN  A  DIX 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  349 

In  December,  1812,  he  received  his  first  commission  in  the  army, 
and  was  ordered  to  report  to  his  father,  who  was  then  in  Maryland, 
raising  the  14th  Regiment  of  Infantry.  In  March,  1813,  lie  re- 
signed his  cadet's  appointment,  received  the  commission  of  ensign 
in  his  father's  regiment,  and  in  the  following  month  joined  the 
army  at  Sackett's  Harbor.  His  father,  being  then  in  command 
of  the  14th  Infantry,  w^as  attacked  by  severe  illness,  which  in- 
creased to  such  a  degree  that  he  was  unable  to  walk;  and  he 
was  borne,  by  his  son  and  a  brother  officer,  under  the  fire  of  the 
enemy,  on  the  morning  of  the  battle  of  Chrystler's  fields,  to  a  boat 
on  the  St.  Lawrence,  in  which  he  died  as  the  army  was  landing  at 
French  Mills.  During  the  war,  young  Dix, — who,  before  he  was 
fifteen  years  of  age,  was  acting  adjutant  of  an  independent  battal- 
ion of  the  regular  army,  commanded  by  Major  Timothy  Upham, 
— filled  several  staff  appointments,  and  was  afterwards  for  several 
years  aide-de-camp  to  Major-General  Jacob  Brown,  when  the  lat- 
ter was  at  the  head  of  the  American  army.  While  holding  these 
appointments,  with  a  view  to  returning  to  private  life  he  com- 
menced the  study  of  the  law,  under  William  Wirt,  then  attorney- 
general  of  the  United  States.  On  resigning  his  commission  in 
the  army,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  city  of  Washington. 

In  1828,  at  the  village  of  Cooperstown,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  Dix  com- 
menced the  practice  of  the  law.  In  1831,  he  received  the  ap- 
pointment of  adjutant-general  of  the  state,  and  removed  to  xilbany. 
In  1833,  he  was  made  secretary  of  the  state.  While  adjutant- 
general,  he  made  a  report  on  the  militia  system ;  and  while  secre- 
tary of  state,  he  made  a  report  on  the  education  of  common-school 
teachers,  and  another  on  the  geology  of  the  state.  These  papers 
are  marked  by  extraordinary  ability,  and  have  ever  been  regarded 
as  standards  in  those  departments  of  knowledge.  He  was  called 
upon,  without  previous  consultation  with  him,  by  the  legislature, 
to  report  a  plan  for  a  geological  survey,  in  the  spring  of  1835  ; 
and,  without  any  previous  knowledge  on  the  subject,  he  prepared 
himself,  by  indefatigable  labor  during  the  summer,  for  the  per- 
formance of  the  service,  and  was  able  to  present  his  report  at  the 
opening  of  the  session  of  the  legislature  in  the  ensuing  January. 
It  was  adopted,  and  made  the  basis  of  the  important  work,  whose 
record,  in  some  twenty  quarto  volumes,  is  well  known  to  the  sci- 
entific community. 


350  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

General  Dix  went  to  Europe  in  the  year  1842,  and  returned  in 
1844.  In  January,  1845,  he  was  chosen  a  senator  of  the  United 
States  in  place  of  Silas  Wright,  who  had  been  elected  governor 
of  the  state  of  New  York  in  the  month  of  November  j^receding. 
His  first  effort  was  a  speech  on  the  Oregon  question,  delivered  in 
the  senate,  Feb.  18  and  19,  1846.  It  placed  him  at  once  in  the 
front  rank  of  public  orators  and  statesmen.  When  he  took  his 
seat.  Col.  Benton,  the  veteran  senator  from  Missouri,  rose  and 
said, — 

"  I  propose  to  speak  to  a  branch  of  this  question — not  the 
branch  of  it  on  which  the  senator  from  New  York  on  my  right  [Mr. 
Dix]  has  spoken.  If  I  had  intended  to  speak  on  that  branch, 
I  should  have  given  up  the  design  after  hearing  his  speech 
of  yesterday  and  to-day.  It  has  left  nothing  for  me  to  saj^  on  the 
point  of  title,  familiar  as  I  have  been  with  that  subject  for  thirty 
years.  He  has  placed  the  American  title  to  the  Columbia  and  to 
the  coast  north  of  it  on  ground  from  which  it  can  never  be  re- 
moved, and  which  must  put  an  end  to  the  argument  wherever  that 
speech  is  read.  A  speech  more  perfect  in  its  proofs,  better  sus- 
tained by  history,  more  crowded  with  material  pertinent  to  the  is- 
sue, more  satisfactory  to  all  lovers  of  truth  and  justice,  more 
judiciously  conceived  and  vigorously  executed,  I  have  never 
heard  delivered ;  and  I  make  my  congratulations  to  that  senator 
on  the  service  he  has  rendered  to  his  country,  and  the  honor  he 
has  gained  for  himself  by  its  delivery." 

The  position  thus  acquired  was  in  no  resjjiect  imjiaired  by  his 
subsequent  service  in  the  senate.  In  his  speeches  on  the  ware- 
house system,  French  spoliations,  the  Mexican  war,  the  Roman 
mission,  slavery,  and  other  questions,  he  displayed  the  same  abil- 
ity and  thorough  mastery  of  his  subjects.  Charles  Sumner  once 
said,  to  a  friend,  that  he  should  recommend  to  any  young  man,  pre- 
paring himself  for  public  life,  to  study  the  speeches  of  Gen.  Dix 
in  preference  to  any  others,  as  models  of  ability,  eloquence,  and 
senatorial  dignity. 

In  the  year  1853,  at  the  urgent  request  of  President  Pierce,  he 
accepted  the  office  of  assistant  treasurer  in  the  city  of  New  York, 
and  was  relieved,  at  his  own  solicitation,  at  the  end  of  six  months, 
after  having  received  and  disbursed  some  sixty  millions  of  dollars. 
Early  in  1860,  the  postmaster  in  the  same  city  having  absconded 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY,  351 

witli  $150,000  of  the  public  money,  Gen.  Dix  was  called  upon  by 
President  Buchanan  to  take  that  office.  He  held  it  until  January, 
1861,  when,  on  the  occurrence  of  another  and  a  far  more  urgent 
emergency,  his  services  were  again  in  request,  and  he  was  ap- 
pointed secretar}^  of  the  treasury  after  the  desertion  of  Cobb,  who 
became  one  of  the  leaders  in  the  movement  to  overtlirow  the  gov- 
ernment. It  was  while  in  that  position  that  Gen.  Dix  gave  the 
remarkable  order,  which  sent  a  thrill  through  the  l:)reasts  of  all 
American  patriots,  when  the  secessionists  were  taking  forcible 
possession  of  the  mints,  forts,  arsenals,  and  revenue  cutters  of  the 
United  States.  Having  been  advised  by  his  agent  that  a  captain 
of  one  of  those  cutters  refused  to  obey  his  orders,  he  directed  the 
lieutenant  to  arrest  him,  and  treat  him  as  a  mutineer  if  he  resist- 
ed, closing  his  dispatch  with  the  command,  which  will  be  remem- 
bered as  long  as  the  nation  endures, — "  If  any  one  attempts  to 
haul  dovm  the  American  flag^  shoot  him  on  the  spot^'' 

On  the  16th  of  May,  1861,  General  Dix  was  appointed  major- 
general  of  U.  S.  volunteers ;  and,  after  superintending  the  raising 
of  eleven  regiments  in  New  York,  he  was  assigned  to  the  com- 
mand of  the  department  embracing  the  states  of  Pennsylvania, 
Delaware,  and  Maryland,  and  established  his  head-quarters  at  Bal- 
timore. Maryland  was  at  that  time  in  a  state  of  semi-rebellion, 
and  there  is  little  doubt  that  an  ordinance  of  secession  would  have 
been  passed  if  the  leaders  in  the  legislature  had  not  been  arrested. 
Gen.  Dix  immediately  proceeded  to  fortify  the  city,  and,  by  a  judi- 
cious combination  of  firmness  and  conciliation,  the  state  was  car- 
ried in  the  ensuing  fall  by  a  majority  of  thirty  thousand  for  the 
Union.  This  important  service  was  followed  by  a  successful  expe- 
dition, which  he  organized  and  sent  to  the  eastern  shore  of  Virgin- 
ia, dispersing  the  secessionist  forces,  and  restoring  that  important 
district  to  the  Union.  In  the  following  year  he  was  ordered  to 
Fortress  Monroe,  and  succeeded  Gen.  McClellan  in  the  command 
of  the  Department  of  Virginia.  His  chief  services  in  this  depart- 
ment were  in  the  defence  of  Suffolk,  after  an  investnient  of  a 
month  by  a  greatly  superior  force,  and  his  movement  against 
Richmond,  which  contributed  to  the  sudden  return  of  Gen.  Lee's 
army  to  Virginia,  after  the  battle  of  Gett3-sburg.  He  was  imme- 
diately afterwards  ordered  to  New  York  during  the  riots  got  up 
to  defeat  the  draft,  and,  after  completing  it,  was  continued  in  com- 


352  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

mancl  of  tlie  Department  of  the  East  until  Gen.  Lee's  surrender 
to  Gen.  Grant,  when  he  resigned  his  commission  in  tlie  army,  and 
returned  to  private  life. 

In  October,  18G6,  he  accepted  for  a  few  weeks  tlie  appointment 
of  naval  officer  of  the  port  of  New  York,  and  was  appointed  min- 
ister to  the  Hague.  He  did  not  accept  the  latter  appointment ; 
and  in  Novemljer  was  appointed  minister  to  France.  In  1869 
he  resigned,  and  returned  to  the  United  States.  During  his  dip- 
lomatic sojourn  at  the  French  court,  he  contributed  greatly  by 
his  courtesy  and  friendly  offices  to  remove  the  unkindly  impres- 
sion which  had  grown  out  of  the  expedition  of  Napoleon  III  to 
Mexico,  and  to  restore  the  traditionary  friendship  between  France 
and  the  United  States.  His  diplomatic  correspondence  with  the 
French  government  embraces,  among  other  matters,  the  impor- 
tant questions  of  extradition  and  exj^atriation ;  and  should  they 
be  published,  they  will  be  found  worthy  of  his  fonner  reputation 
for  research  and  solid  reasoning. 

The  last  public  service  of  Gen.  Dix  was  rendered  as  governor 
of  the  state  of  New  York, — an  office  to  which  he  was  elected 
against  his  wishes  and  remonstrances.  It  may  justly  be  said, 
that  the  affairs  of  that  state  have  not  for  fifty  years  been  more 
abl}",  faitlifuUy,  or  successfully  administered.  He  found  the 
treasury  defrauded,  in  violation  of  the  constitution  of  the  state,  of 
more  than  six  millions  of  dollars  ;  and  during  his  administration 
of  two  years  he  succeeded  in  replenishing  it.  His  whole  course 
was  marked  by  freedom  from  partisanship  and  selfishness,  and  by 
an  earnest  devotion  to  the  best  interests  of  the  people  of  the  state. 
This  jDraise  has  been  freely  conceded  to  him,  even  by  his  political 
opponents. 

Gen.  Dix  has  never  been  an  applicant  for  office.  The  positions 
he  has  filled  were  always  tendered  to  him  without  solicitation  on 
his  part,  and  more  than  once  against  his  earnest  protest.  He 
was  never  a  favorite  with  politicians.  They  were  never  able  to 
use  him,  and  they  knew  it,  and  instinctively  disliked  their  moral 
superior.  The  government  and  the  people  have  usually  had  re- 
course to  him  when  they  needed  aid.  It  was  so  when  he  was 
called  to  the  offices  of  post-master  of  New  York  and  secretary  of 
the  treasury.  His  predecessors  had  proved  faithless  to  their 
trusts,  and  his  experience  and  integrity  were  needed  to  carry  out 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  353 

indispensable  reforms.  His  name  lias  earned  witli  it  those  ele- 
ments which  the  public  require  in  time  of  danger,  and  which,  in 
prosperity,  they  are  prone  to  pass  over  till  some  fresh  disaster  puts 
them  once  more  in  demand. 

JSTo  sketch  of  the  life  and  services  of  John  A.  Dix  would  be  com- 
plete which  did  not  make  mention  of  him  as  a  student  and  a 
scholar.  Throughout  an  official  career  of  nearly  half  a  centurj^, 
with  occasional  intermissions,  he  has  devoted  all  his  leisure  mo- 
ments to  literary  pursuits,  and  esj^ecially  to  the  classics.  The 
country  has  very  few  men  so  conversant  as  he  with  the  Latin 
authors,  in  the  study  of  whose  works  he  takes  unceasing  delight. 
His  translations  are  remarkable.  That  of  the  "  Dies  Irne,"  the 
great  mediaeval  hymn  of  the  Christian  church,  is  ranked  by  the 
most  distinguished  critics  as  among  the  best  renderings  of  that  im- 
mortal production. 

The  following  translation  was  made  by  Gen.  Dix,  at  Fortress 
Monroe,  Va.,  in  1863,  when  in  command  of  the  Department  of 
Virginia.     He  prefaces  it  with  the  following  remarks : 

"  DIES    IR.E. 

"I  have  recently  seen  in  the  periodical  press  several  new  translations 
of  this  noble  canticle — the  best  produced  by  the  Middle  Ages,' perhaps 
by  any  age. 

"Among  the  English  versions,  that  of  the  Earl  of  Roscommon  seems 
to  have  caught  more  of  the  inspiration  of  the  original  than  any  I  have 
seen.  It  is,  nevertheless,  a  paraphrase  rather  than  a  translation.  Tliis 
is  a  serious  fault,  notwithstanding  its  high  poetic  merit.  A  production 
universally  acknowledged  to  have  no  superior  of  its  class,  should  be  as 
literally  rendered  as  the  structure  of  the  language  into  which  it  is  trans- 
lated will  admit.  Moreover,  no  transhation  can  be  complete  which 
does  not  conform  to  the  original  in  its  rhythmic  quantities.  The  music 
of  the  Dies  Irpe  is  as  old  as  the  hymn,  if  not  older;  and  with  those  wlio 
are  famiUar  with  both  they  are  inseparably  connected  in  thought.  To 
satisfy  tlie  exactions  of  such  minds,  the  cadences  must  be  the  same. 

"  With  full  knowledge  of  what  has  been  done  and  attempted  in  our 
language,  and  of  the  difficulty  of  doing  better,  I  have  nevertheless  ven- 
tured on  a  translation  having  in  view  the  two  ends  which  I  have  point- 
ed out — musical  notation,  and  literal  rendering  to  the  extent  that  is 
attainable. 

"  It  is  the  fruit  of  leisure  moments  gained  from  the  hard  service  of 
the  camp,  on  rebel  soil,  but  within  Union  entrenchments.  If,  in  the 
23 


354 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 


ages  of  paganism,  the  strings  of  the  Lesbian  lyre  might  be,  not  un- 
worthily, swept  by  hands  inured  to  arms, — 

'  Qui  ferox  bello,  tamen  inter  arnia. 


Liberum,  et  Musas,  Veneremque,  et  illi 
Semper  liaerentem  piierum  canebat,' — 

a  soldier  in  a  Christian  age  may  not  less  worthily  find  relief  from  the  as- 
perities of  war  in  themes  more  congenial  with  the  higher  dispensations 
which  he  is,  by  the  providence  of  God,  permitted  to  share, 
uport ,  Va.,  June  17,  1863." 


DIES  IR^. 


Dies  ira?,  dies  ilia ! 
Solvet  sicclum  in  favillS, 
Teste  David  cum  Sibylla. 


DIES  IR^. 

1. 
Day  of  vengeance,  lo !  that  morning 
On  the  earth  in  ashes  dawning, 
David  with  the  Sibyl  warning. 


Qnantus  tremor  est  futurus, 
Quando  Judex  est  venturus, 
Cuucta  strict^  discussurus ! 


Ah !  what  terror  is  impending, 
When  the  Judge  is  seen  descending 
And  each  secret  veil  is  rending. 


Tuba,  mirum  spargens  soniim 
Per  sepulcra  regionum, 
Coget  omnes  ante  thronum. 

IV. 

Mors  stupebit,  et  natura, 
Quum  resurget  creatiu'a 
Judicauti  responsura. 

V. 

Liber  script  us  proferetur. 
In  quo  totum  continetur, 
Unde  mundus  judicetur. 


Judex  ergo  quum  sedebit, 
Quidquid  latet  .apparebit, 
Kil  inultam  remauebit. 


To  the  throne,  the  trumpet  sounding, 
Through  the  sepulchres  resounding. 
Summons  all,  with  voice  astounding. 

4. 
Death  iind  Nature,  mazed,  are  quaking, 
When ,  the  grave's  deep  slumber  breaking, 
Man  to  judgment  is  awaking. 

5. 
Now  the  written  book  containing 
Record  to  all  time  pertaining 
Opens  for  the  world's  arraigning. 

6. 
See  the  Judge  his  seat  attaining, 
Darkest  mysteries  explaining, 
Nothing  unavenged  remaining. 


Quid  sum  miser  tunc  dicturus.. 
Quern  patronum  rogaturus, 
Quum  vix  Justus  sit  securus? 

VIII. 

Rex  tremendoD  majestatis, 
Qui  salvandos  salv.as  gratis, 
Salva  me,  fens  pietatis ! 

IX. 

Recordare,  Jesu  pie, 
Quod  sum  causa  Tuas  via ; 
Ne  me  perdas  ilia  die ! 


What  shall  I  then  say,  unfriended, 

By  what  .advocate  attended, 

When  the  just  are  scarce  defended? 

8. 
King  of  majesty  tremendous. 
By  Thy  saving  grace  defend  us ; 
Fount  of  pity,  safety  send  us ! 

9. 
Jesus,  think  of  Thy  wayfaring, 
For  my  sins  the  death-crown  wearing 
Save  me,  in  that  day,  despairing. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 


355 


X. 

QuEerens  me  sedisti  lassus, 
Redemisti,  crucein  passus; 
Tautus  labor  iioii  sit  cassiis! 

XI. 

Juste  Judex  ultionis, 
Donuni  fac  remissionis 
Ante  diem  rationis! 

XII. 

Ingemisco  tanquam  reus, 
Culpa  rubet  vultus  mens : 
Supplicanti  parce,  Deus ! 

XIII. 

Qui  Mariam  absolvisti, 
Et  latronem  e.xaudisti, 
Mihi  quoque  spem  dedisti. 


Preces  mea;  non  sunt  dignse, 
Sed  Tu  bonus  fac  benign^, 
Ne  perreni  cremer  igue  ! 


Inter  oves  locum  pra>sta, 
Et  ab  ha>dis  me  sequestra, 
Statuens  in  parte  dextra ! 

XVI. 

Confutatis  maledictis, 
Flammis  acribus  addictis, 
Voca  me  cum  benedictis ! 

XVII. 

Oro  supplex  et  acclinis, 
Cor  contritum  quasi  cinis: 
Gere  curam  mei  finis! 

XVIII. 

Lacrymosa  dies  ilia 
Qua  resurget  ex  favilla 
Judicandus  homo  reus ; 
Huic  ergo  parce,  Deus ! 


10. 

Worn  .and  weary  Thou  hast  sought  me, 
By  Thy  cross  and  passion  bought  me ; — 
Spare  the  Iiope  thy  labors  brought  me. 

11. 

Righteous  Judge  of  retribution, 
Give,  O  give  me  absolution 
Ere  that  day  of  dissolution. 

12. 
As  a  guilty  culprit  gi-oaning, 
Flushed  my  face,  my  errors  owning. 
Spare,  O  God,  Thy  suppliant  moaning! 

13. 
Thou  to  Mary  gav'st  remission, 
Heard'st  the  dying  thief's  petition, 
Bad'st  me  hope  in  my  contrition. 

14. 
In  my  prayers  no  worth  discerning, 
Yet  on  me  Thy  favor  turning, 
Save  me  from  that  endless  burning! 

15. 
Give  me,  when  Thy  sheep  confiding 
Thou  art  from  the  goats  dividing. 
On  Thy  right  a  place  abiding ! 

16. 
When  the  wicked  are  rejected, 
And  to  bitter  flames  subjected, 
Call  me  forth  with  thine  elected! 

17. 
Low  in  supplication  bending. 
Heart  as  tliough  with  ashes  blending; 
Care  for  me  when  all  is  ending. 

18. 
When  on  that  dread  day  of  weeping 
Guilty  man  in  ashes  sleeping 
Wakes  to  his  adjudication. 
Save  him,  God!  from  condemnation! 


Gen.  Dix  is  as  much  at  home  in  modern  as  in  ancient  langua- 
ges. During  his  residence  in  Paris,  while  minister  to  the  court 
of  France,  he  was  present  at  a  meeting  of  one  of  the  literary  soci- 
eties of  that  capital,  and,  on  being  introduced  to  the  company, 
addressed  them  in  an  elegant  and  effective  speech  in  the  French 
language,  to  the  delight  of  all  the  listeners. 

His  summers  are  spent  at '^  Seafield,"  his  re.sidence  at  West 
Hampton,  on  the  southern  side  of  Long  Island,  about  seventy 


356  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

miles  from  New  York.  The  fame  of  tlie  old  general  as  a  keen 
sportsman  and  dead  shot  has  gone  through  all  that  region  ;  and 
there,  in  congenial  pursuits,  and  surrounded  hy  a  loving  and  de- 
voted family,  he  passes,  serenely  and  happily,  the  closing  years  of 
a  life  ^Yhich  has  heen  full  of  good  service  to  God  and  his  country, 
and  on  which  rests  no  cloud  of  dishonor.  A  state  or  town  is 
honored  in  hringing  forth  such  citizens,  and  the  men  are  happy 
who  leave  such  a  name  after  them,  for  the  comfort  and  encourage- 
ment of  future  generations. 

DIX,   ROGER    SHERMAX,    MAJ., 

Was  horn  in  Boscawen  in  1810,  son  of  Timothy  Dix,  Jr.,  and 
younger  brother  of  Gen.  John  A.  Dix.  He  fitted  for  college  at 
Phillips  academy,  Andover,  and  entered  Dartmouth  when  he 
was  fourteen,  where  he  remained  hut  one  year,  going  from  there 
to  West  Point  as  a  cadet.  He  graduated  in  18.32,  and  was  at- 
tached to  one  of  the  infantry  regiments,  and  stationed  at  Little 
Eock,  in  Arkansas.  He  was  appointed  to  the  quartermaster's 
depot,  and  subsequently  transferred  to  the  paymaster's  depart- 
ment. 

Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  Mexican  war,  he  was  attached  to 
the  army  under  Gen.  Taylor ;  and  at  the  battle  of  Buena  Vista 
served  as  volunteer  aid. 

The  signal  service  rendered  l»y  Maj.  Dix  in  this  battle  is  nar- 
rated by  Capt.  James  H.  Carleton,  of  the  1st  Dragoons.  The  2d 
Indiana  volunteers  had  given  way,  and  the  moment  was  most 
critical.  An  effort  was  made  by  several  officers  to  rally  the  fugi- 
tives.    The  part  taken  by  Maj.  Dix  is  thus  set  forth  : 

"  None  were  so  successful  in  arresting  their  flight  as  the  intrepid 
Major  Dix,  of  the  pay  department.  Having  ridden  rapidly  among 
them,  he  seized  the  standard  of  the  2d  Indiana  volunteers,  and  then 
called  to  the  men,  and  asked  them  if  they  would  desert  tlieir  colors. 
He  told  them  that  they  had  sworn  to  protect  them,  and  now,  if  they 
were  still  determined  to  do  so,  they  must  return  with  him  to  the  fight. 
He  swore  to  them  that  with  God's  help  he  would  not  see  the  state  of 
Indiana  disgraced  by  having  her  flag  carried  out  of  battle  until  it  could 
be  carried  out  in  triumph ;  and  that  back  into  it  again  it  should  go,  if 
he  had  to  take  it  there  and  defend  it  alone.  This  touched  the  hearts  of 
many  of  those  who  were  within  the  sound  of  his  voice.     It  seemed  to 


Birthplace  of  John  Adams  Dix. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  357 

baiiisii  tlie  panic  which  had  fallen  on  them:  they  were  themselves 
again.  Tliey  rallied,  thought  of  their  homes,  gave  three  cheers  for 
Indiana,  and  again  gathered  around  the  flag.  Captain  Linnard,  of  the 
topographical  engineers,  who  had  been  very  active  in  seconding  Maj. 
Dix  in  his  appeal,  now  got  a  drum  and  fife,  and  directed  the  national 
quickstep  to  be  played,  when  the  word  was  given  to  move  on.  Maj. 
Dix  then  led  off  with  the  flag,  while  the  gallant  captain  brought  up  the 
rear;   and  those  thus  gathered  went  back  again  into  battle." 

Maj.  Dix  died  suddenly,  in  Pennsylvania,  of  cholera,  while  on 
a  journoy  from  Tennessee  to  Washington,  in  1849.  He  was  bur- 
ied in  the  little  town  of  Hannock,  near  the  summit  of  the  Alle- 
ghanies. 

EASTMAN,    JOSEPH,    CAPT. 

He  was  son  of  Joseph  and  Abigail  (Merrill)  Eastman,  of  Salis- 
bury, born  in  1720.  He  moved  to  Contoocook  in  1746.  He 
served  as  a  soldier  in  Col.  Blanchard's  command  in  1754,  after  the 
attack  of  the  Indians  upon  Stevenstown  (South  Franklin).  In 
1757  lie  enlisted  as  a  ranger  in  Robert  Rogers's  battalion,  and  con- 
tinued in  service  till  the  close  of  the  war. 

He  was  in  one  of  the  severest  contests  ever  fought  on  Ameri- 
can soil,  on  the  shore  of  Lake  George,  Jan.  17,  1757,  lasting  from 
two  in  the  afternoon  until  dark.  The  rangers  numbered  seventy- 
four  ;  tlie  Frendi  and  Indians  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty. 
Of  the  rangers,  fourteen  were  killed,  six  wounded,  and  six  taken 
prisoners ;  while  of  the  French  and  Indians,  one  hundred  and  six- 
teen were  killed  and  wounded. 

In  1760,  Gen.  Amherst,  at  Crown  Point,  wished  to  communi- 
cate with  Gen.  Murray,  at  Quebec,  the  distance  being  nearly  three 
hundred  miles  through  almost  a  pathless  wilderness,  in  possession 
of  the  French  and  Indians.  Gen.  Amherst  offered  fifty  pounds 
to  any  four  men  who  would  undertake  the  journey.  Sergeant 
Beverley,  who  had  been  a  prisoner  in  Canada,  Luxford  Goodwin, 
John  Shute,  and  Joseph  Eastman,  volunteered  to  accomplish  the 
undertaking. 

Shute  was  from  Concord,  and  all  were  rangers,  accustomed  to 
the  wilderness.  They  took  despatches  and  letters,  and  were 
escorted  to  Missisquoi  bay,  on  Lake  Champlain.  They  struck 
north-east,  and  came  to  the  St.  Francis  river.  Tliat  stream 
was  a  great  Indian  higliway ;  and  the  question  was,  whether  to 


358  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

cross  by  daylight,  or  wait  till  night.  They  concluded  to  run  the 
risk  of  getting  across  during  the  day,  and,  collecting  driftwood, 
constructed  two  rafts. 

They  cast  lots  to  see  who  should  first  attem^it  to  cross  the  tur- 
bulent stream.  The  lot  fell  to  Eastman  and  Shute.  They  had 
only  two  poles.  The  current  swept  them  down  stream.  They 
saw  that  the  raft  would  go  over  a  swift  fall,  and  they  managed  to 
save  themselves  by  leaping  upon  a  rock  with  their  guns  and  packs, 
and  thence  reached  the  shore. 

The  other  two  were  less  fortunate.  They  were  swept  over  the 
falls.  Goodwin  and  Beverley  barely  escaped  with  their  lives,  los- 
ing their  coats,  provisions,  guns,  and  the  letters  entrusted  to  their 
care. 

It  was  a  wet,  swampy  wilderness  through  whicli  they  trav- 
elled. They  had  little  to  eat,  but  pressed  on,  steering  north-east. 
On  Sunday  morning  they  heard  a  bell,  and  found  themselves 
close  to  a  village.  Proceeding  cautiously,  they  came  to  a  log 
house,  found  that  the  familj'  were  at  church,  and  helped  them- 
selves to  provisions  and  clothing. 

Starting  on  their  way,  they  came  to  a  second  log  house,  in  the 
woods.  A  ladder  rested  against  the  gable  end,  leading  to  a  door 
fastened  with  a  padlock.  They  broke  open  the  door,  found  a 
chest  filled  witli  clothing,  and  took  whatever  pleased  them.  They 
were  in  the  enemy's  country,  and  it  was  expected  of  a  ranger  that 
he  would  do  all  the  harm  he  could  to  the  enemy.  Tliey  avoided 
all  roads.  At  night  they  came  to  a  farm-house,  entered  a  barn, 
and  found  a  calf,  which  they  killed.  Each  ranger  , shouldered  a 
quarter  of  veal,  and  took  the  skin  along,  kindled  a  fire  in  the 
woods,  smoked  the  meat  to  preserve  it,  made  moccasins  of  the 
skin,  and  continued  their  journey. 

Four  days  later  they  came  in  sight  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  dis- 
covered a  large  encampment  of  troops.  They  were  uncertain  as 
to  whether  they  were  French  or  English.  Beverley  decided  to 
approach  the  encampment.  If  they  were  French,  he  was  to  make 
a  signal  for  the  other  three  to  take  care  of  themselves.,  He  ap- 
proached the  camp.  Eastman  and  his  companions  saw  him  stop- 
ped by  a  sentinel.  After  a  short  parley,  they  shook  hands. 
Upon  this,  Eastman,  Shute,  and  Goodwin  approached,  and  were 
heartily  welcomed.     They  were  twenty  miles  above  Quebec,  but 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  359 

were  at  once  sent  to  the  city.  Arriving  there  at  midnight,  they 
were  taken  to  Gen.  Murray's  quarters,  slept  on  the  floor  in  the 
kitchen  till  morning,  when  they  were  taken  into  a  large  hall, 
where  Gen.  Murray  and  a  hundred  officers  of  various  grades  were 
assembled  to  hear  their  story.  Gen.  Murray  treated  them  to  the 
very  best  of  liquor,  "such,"  said  Shute,  "as  I  never  have  tasted 
before  nor  since,  nor  have  I  ever  drank  anything  so  good  in  my 
life."  They  were  separately  examined,  and  all  had  but  one  story 
to  tell.  Gen.  Murray  was  so  well  pleased  with  them  that  he  would 
not  let  them  return,  but  kept  them  to  pilot  the  army,  giving  them 
four  guineas  extra  pay. 

A  few  days  later  the  army  was  in  motion  up  the  river  to  join 
Amherst;  and  they  had  the  satisfaction  of  being  present  at 
Montreal,  Sept.  8,  1760,  when  the  domain  of  New  France  was 
surrendered  to  the  English. 

Capt.  Eastman  married  Elizabeth  Jackman,  daughter  of  George 
Jackman  [see  Genealogy].  He  moved  to  Concord  probably  in 
1769,  as  he  was  a  voter  in  Boscawen  in  1768 ;  but  his  name  does 
not  appear  at  a  later  daj^  upon  the  records.  He  was  a  man  of 
decided  character  and  energ)-,  capable  of  enduring  great  liard- 
ships,  and  an  esteemed  citizen  in  both  towns.  He  died  in  1815, 
at  the  age  of  95. 

FARMER,    JOHN. 

Col.  John  Farmer  was  born  in  Billerica,  Mass.,  December,  1791 
[see  Genealogy],  moved  to  Boscawen  with  his  mother  about  1810, 
and  engaged  in  farming  ;  but,  being  of  a  mechanical  turn  of  mind, 
he  gave  his  attention  to  the  im2)rovement  of  mills  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  shingles,  laths,  and  clapboards.  He  invented  a  simple 
machine  for  smoothing  the  side  of  a  block  of  wood.  It  was,  in 
reality,  a  planing  machine,  one  of  the  first  ever  brought  into  use. 
He  evinced  considerable  skill  in  the  contriving  of  implements  that 
would  save  labor  on  the  farm. 

Quite  early  in  life  he  began  the  manufacture  of  lumber,  which 
was  rafted  down  the  Merrimack  to  Lowell,  and  taken  to  Boston 
through  the  Middlesex  canal. 

He  married  Sally,  daughter  of  Moses  Gerrish,  in  1819  [see 
Genealogy].  He  had  great  energy  and  decision  of  character,  and 
his  influence  was  felt  throughout  the  community  for  good,  and 
more  especially  after  he  became  a  member  of  the  church. 


360  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

He  was  elected  to  the  legislature  in  1828-9,  and  again  in 
1834-5.  He  was  often  called  iipon  to  preside  in  town-meeting. 
He  had  a  quick,  judicial,  discerning  mind,  was  an  early  advocate 
of  the  temj^erance  reform,  of  the  anti-slavery  movement,  and  had 
that  coolness  of  judgment  that  held  an  even  course  between  both 
radical  and  conservative  parties.  He  was  kind  and  liberal  in  all 
his  views  and  acts,  giving  largely  of  his  means  to  sustain  benevo- 
lent and  missionary  organizations.  He  was  captain  of  the  light 
infantry,  and  colonel  of  the  21st  Regiment. 

Through  his  business  operations,  which  becarae  very  extensive, 
he  was  widely  known,  and  no  man  in  the  section  occupied  a  more 
favorable  position  than  he  for  political  advancement.  He  died  in 
the  full  vigor  of  life,  from  typhoid  fever,  July  17,  1836,  at  the 
age  of  45. 

FARMER,    MOSES    G.,    PROF. 

Moses  Gerrish  Farmer,  eldest  child  of  Col.  John  and  Sally  Ger- 
rish  Farmer,  was  born  in  Boscawen,  N.  H.,  Feb.  9,  1820.  In  early 
life  he  attended  the  district  school  in  that  town ;  also  the  academy 
on  Boscawen  Plain. 

He  entered  Phillips  academy,  Andover,  Mass.,  in  the  autumn 
of  1837.  At  that  time  music  was  with  him  an  all-absorbing  pas- 
sion, and  other  studies  were  often  neglected  in  consequence  of  it. 
One  day,  while  seated  at  the  organ  when  he  should  have  been 
preparing  his  lessons  for  the  morrow,  the  door  suddenly  opened, 
and  the  calm,  stern  face  of  Dr.  Taylor  Avas  before  him.  "Farmer, 
you  are  disappointing  the  best  hopes  of  jour  friends,"  were  the 
only  words  that  fell  upon  the  ear  of  the  boy  musician, — and  the  door 
closed  between  them.  Great  Avas  the  influence  of  those  words 
upon  the  man  Avho  has  ever  found  in  duty  his  highest  pleasure. 

He  entered  Dartmouth  college  in  1840,  where  he  remained  three 
3'ears,  and  then  Avas  obliged  to  leave  on  account  of  ill  health.  (The 
degree  of  a.  m.  Avas  conferred  upon  him  ])y  the  faculty  of  Dart, 
mouth  in  1853.) 

A  few  months  after  leaving  college,  he  became  preceptor  of  El- 
liot academy,  Me.,  and  was  married  in  that  toAvn  Dec.  25,  1844,  to 
Miss  Hannah  T.,  daughter  of  Richard  Shapleigh,  of  Berwick,  Me. 
He  remoA-ed  immediately  to  DoA'er,  N.  H.,  as  he  then  had  charge 
of  the  Belknap  school  in  that   town,  Avhere  he  taught  until  the 


A/lir±.^    7    ^4//7T^. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  361 

summer  of  1847,  when  lie  turned  liis  attention  wholly  to  scien- 
tific pursuits,  which  were  much  more  congenial  to  his  tastes  than 
school-teaching. 

During  these  years  he  found  his  recreations  in  the  study  of 
music.  His  fondness  for  mathematics,  together  with  his  love  for 
music,  made  him  a  thorough  harmonist.  The  following  anecdote 
sets  forth  the  versatility  of  his  talents  :  A  church  in  a  neighbor- 
ing town  was  about  to  settle  a  pastor,  and  the  leader  of  the  choir, 
wishing  to  made  the  musical  service  unusually  attractive,  organ- 
ized an  orchestra,  with  clarinet,  flute,  violin,  and  other  instruments, 
but  had  no  performer  for  the  double-bass  viol.  He  was  informed 
that  a  gentleman  in  Dover  was  an  excellent  musician,  and  doubt- 
less would  be  able  to  render  good  service.  Upoii  visiting  Dover, 
the  conductor  found,  to  his  great  gratification,  that  the  musician 
was  a  fellow-student  at  Dartmouth,  who  at  once  consented  to  j^lay 
the  viol. 

The  evening  came.  INIr.  Farmer  was  late,  and  only  entered  the 
orchestra  as  the  opening  piece  was  to  be  performed.  He  snapped 
the  strings  of  the  instrument  to  ascertain  if  it  was  in  tune,  and,  as 
he  drew  the  bow  across  them,  thus  whispered  to  the  conductor : 
"  I  never  played  a  double-bass  in  my  life."  The  leader  was  aston- 
ished at  the  intelligence.  "What  are  you  going  to  sing?"  Mr.  F. 
asked.  The  leader  laid  the  score  before  him.  "  I  never  saw  it 
before,"  he  whispered. 

Everything  went  well  till  the  choir  was  about  half  through  the 
piece,  when  choir  and  audience  were  startled  by  a  crash,  and,  to 
their  horror,  saw  that  the  })ile  of  books  upon  which  rested  the 
score  of  the  violist  had  tumbled  to  the  floor.  Put  there  was  no 
interruption,  for  his  knowlege  of  harmony  enabled  him  to  render 
a  fitting  accompaniment  to  the  end. 

He  began  his  experiments  in  electricity  in  1845,  inventing  at 
that  time  an  electro-magnetic  engine.  In  1846  he  constructed  a 
small  electro-magnetic  locomotive,  also  a  small  railroad  track,  and 
exhibited  the  same  in  various  towns  and  cities,  lecturing  upon  the 
subject  of  electro-magnetism  and  its  applications,  showing  also 
how  it  could  be  adapted  to  the  use  of  torpedoes  and  sub-marine 
blasting.  His  first  lecture  was  given  in  Dover,  and  one  of  his 
experiments  was  made  with  a  miniature  shij),  placed  in  a  wash- 
bowl of  water.     The  ship  was  blowai  up  by  electricity,  and,  com- 


362 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 


ing  down,  stniclc  on  the  top  of  tlie  lecturer's  head.  This  was, 
perliaps,  the  reason  why  tlie  experiment  was  never  repeated  before 
anotlier  audience  ;  hut  the  circumstance  is  often  recalled  now,  as 
ships  nia_y  so  quickly  he  turned  into  kindling-wood  hy  the  torpe- 
does which  he  uses  at  the  present  day. 

In  1846  he  invented  the  hook  or  sickle-shaped  climber,  for  the 
use  of  repairers  of  telegraph  lines  in  climbing  poles,  and  came  near 
losing  his  life  in  showing  how  easy  it  was  to  use  them ! 

About  this  time  Mr.  Farmer  made  the  accjuaintance  of  Hon.  F. 
0.  J.  Smith,  who  was  then  one  of  tlie  most  prominent  men  in  all 
telegraphic  matters,  which  finally  resulted  in  Mr.  Farmer's  leaving 
Dover,  in  December,  1847,  and  taking  up  his  residence  in  South 
Framingham,  Mass.,  where  he  opened  a  telegraph  office  in  the  de- 
pot, and  also  had  charge  of  the  line  between  Boston,  Worcester, 
and  Springfield.  While  here  he  tried  the  experiment  of  telegraph- 
ing by  the  use  of  a  current  from  an  induction  coil,  using  a  com- 
mon medical  machine  for  tlie  purpose.  Early  in  the  winter  of 
1848,  Mr.  Smith,  president  of  the  Portland  line  of  telegraph,  and 
Mr.  L.  L.  Sadler,  superintendent  of  the  Boston  and  New  York 
line,  were  one  day  talking  over  the  possibilities  of  the  telegraph 
system,  and  the  uses  to  which  it  could  be  applied ;  and  Mr.  Smith 
suggested  that  an  alarm  of  fire  might  be  given  by  it,  and 
asked, — ''Where  is  the  man  who  can  devise  the  machinery  that 
will  be  needed  to  do  it?"  Mr.  Sadler  replied, — "  I  have  an  opera- 
tor in  my  employ  now,  who  can  do  it  if  anybody  can,  for  he  is  the 
most  ingenious  man  I  ever  saw.  He  is  in  the  Framingham  office, 
and  his  name  is  Farmer."  "I  know  him,"  said  Mr.  Smith;  "yes, 
lie  can  do  it,  if  it  can  be  done."  Mr.  Farmer's  attention  was  at 
once  called  to  the  subject,  and  he  asked  for  a  week  in  Avhich  to 
consider  it.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  showed  them  what  he  had 
done.  He  took  the  striking  part  of  an  old  clock,  and  invented  the 
electrical  part  necessary  to  construct  a  miniature  machine,  which 
clearly  demonstrated  the  thought  in  a  visible  form.  This  was  the 
first  machine  in  the  world  for  giving  an  alarm  of  fire  by  electricity. 
Messrs.  Smith  and  Sadler  were  perfectly  satisfied  with  it,  but 
were  too  full  of  care  in  regard  to  their  telegraph  interests  to  do 
anything  further  at  that  time,  and  the  work  was  not  resumed  for 
two  years.  Kot  so  with  Mr.  Farmer.  If  this  were  sometliing 
that  could  be  done,  and  the  world  needed  it,  the  time  would  come 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  363 

when  it  could  be  carried  into  operation,  and  he  was  constantly 
devising  ways  and  means  hy  which  to  accomplish  it.  This  was  of 
great  help  to  him  when  he  was  called  to  the  work  in  ISal. 

Having  conscientious  scruples  about  the  work  required  of  him 
on  the  Lord's  day  by  the  New  York  Telegraph  Co.,  he  was  re- 
leased from  his  engagement  there.  He  removed  to  Salem,  Mass., 
July,  1848,  and  took  charge  of  the  telegraph  office  in  that  city, 
also  of  temporary  repairs  on  the  line  between  Boston  and  New- 
buryport. 

In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year  he  received  an  order  from  the 
city  of  Boston  to  construct  two  small  machines  for  striking  alarms 
of  fire  on  church  bells,  the  machines  to  be  made  according  to  the 
2:»lans  which  he  had  previously  submitted  to  Mr.  Smith.  The  ma- 
chines were  constructed  at  once  by  Messrs.  Howard  &  Davis,  the 
well  knowni  clock-makers  of  Eoxbury,  Mass.,  and  were  exhibited 
in  Boston,  December,  1848.  One  was  placed  on  the  top  of  the 
court-house,  and  the  other  in  the  office  of  Mr.  Sadler,  the  superin- 
tendent of  the  New  York  line  of  telegraph.  These  machines 
were  connected  by  a  wire,  and  were  operated  by  a  circuit  of  the 
main  New  York  line,  and  the  bells  to  Avhich  tliey  were  attached 
were  both  struck  simultaneously  by  an  operator  in  New  York 
city,  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  away.  The  experiment  was 
perfectly  satisfactory  to  all  who  witnessed  it,  and  accounts  of  the 
wonderful  event  were  published  in  the  newspapers  at  the  time. 
Mayor  Quincy's  term  of  office  expiring  soon  after,  and  the  next 
maj^or  not  feeling  the  necessity  of  further  action  on  his  part,  the 
subject  was  not  resumed  that  year,  and  Mr.  Farmer  continued  his 
experiments  in  other  directions. 

Soon  after  this  he  devised  an  automatic  circuit-closing  appara- 
tus, in  which  the  weight  of  the  hand  broke  the  switch  branches 
of  the  main  circuit,  but  this  immediately  closed  itself  upon  the 
removal  of  the  hand. 

During  the  year  1849  he  contrived  an  electro-magnetic  clock, 
with  dead-beat  escapement,  and  wdth  continuity-preserving  circuit- 
breaker.  This  clock  had  only  three  wdieels,  each  wheel  sixty  teeth; 
— the  second  hand  moved  each  second,  the  minute  hand  each  min- 
ute, the  hour  hand  each  five  minutes.  This  was  patented  in  1852, 
and  one  was  in  use  in  the  fire-alarm  office  in  Boston  for  several 
years  after  the  introduction  of  the  system  into  that  city. 


364  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

In  1849,  Mr.  Farmer  left  the  telegraph  office  in  Salem,  Mass., 
to  oj)en  some  of  the  new  offices  on  the  Vermont  and  Boston  tele- 
grapli  line,  commencing  svith  Manchester,  N".  H.  While  there  he 
invented  the  open-circuit  automatic  repeater,  as  he  found  some 
such  device  needful.  This  line  was  worked  on  the  Bain,  or  chem- 
ical system. 

In  May,  1S50,  he  was  appointed  superintendent  of  the  line  from 
Boston  to  Burlington.  During  the  3'ear  he  applied  automatic 
repeaters  to  six  or  seven  intermediate  stations,  antl  the  line  was 
extended  to  Ogdensburgh,  IST.  Y.  Wires  were  also  run  south  to 
Northampton,  Mass. 

In  February,  1S51,  he  received  a  note  from  Dr.  Wm.  F.  Chan- 
ning,  of  Boston,  of  whom  he  had  never  heard  before,  requesting 
an  interview,  as  he  desired  to  use  the  machines  which  Mr.  Farmer 
had  devised  and  exhibited  for  giving  an  alarm  of  fire  by  electricity. 
Dr.  Channing  had  published  an  article  upon  this  subject  in  1845, 
although  Mr.  Farmer  had  never  heard  of  it,  nor  had  he  ever  seen 
the  Avriter  until  he  met  him  in  his  (Mr.  Farmer's)  office  on  State 
street.  Dr.  Channing  had  constructed  no  machinery  by  which  his 
idea  could  be  demonstrated,  and  Mr.  Farmer  consented  to  the  use 
of  the  machines  which  had  been  exhibited  two  years  before,  and 
also  promised  to  assist  Dr.  Channing  in  the  use  of  them. 

The  experimental  trial  satisfied  the  city  government  of  Boston 
of  the  feasibility  of  the  plan,  and  an  appropriation  of  $10,000  was 
made  to  carry  it  into  effect.  Mr.  Farmer  was  immediately  ap- 
pointed superintendent  of  the  construction,  and  entered  upon  his 
duties  in  Jnly,  1851,  resigning  his  position  of  superintendent  of 
the  Vermont  line  for  this  purpose.  The  work  was  no  sooner  un- 
dertaken, than  he  found  himself  at  sea  without  chart  or  compass. 
The  system,  which  had  looked  so  beautiful  on  paper,  was  only  a 
form,  which  must  now  be  clothed  before  it  could  become  an  obedient 
servant.  How  to  do  it  engrossed  every  thought.  Theorizing  and 
practical  work  were  now  found  to  be  two  very  different  things.  Ma- 
chinery must  be  invented  at  every  step.  Each  bell-tower  required 
its  peculiar  adaptations.  The  position  of  the  machinery,  its  size, 
and  tlie  weight  to  be  attached  to  it,  all  had  to  be  taken  into  ac- 
count. Difficulties  met  the  young  inventor  at  every  turn.  Means 
applicable  to  an  ordinary  telegraph  line  were  of  no  hel})  here, 
but  his  absolute  faith  in  final  success  bridged  over  every  one  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  365 

the  many  difficulties,  and  the  work  of  construction  went  steadily 
on,  until  every  dollar  of  the  first  appropriation  had  heen  ex- 
pended. The  fire-alarm  committee,  never  doubting  his  ability 
to  accomplish  the  work  he  had  undertaken,  made  another  ap- 
propriation, and  tlie  task  before  him  was  pursiied  with  tlie  same 
untiring  energy  and  wonderful  fertility  of  invention,  until  suc- 
cess was  attained.  Mr.  C.  C.  Coffin  had  charge  of  the  men  em- 
ployed in  its  construction.  The  first  trial  took  place  April  28, 
1852,  and  the  first  alarm  was  given  by  Mr.  Coffin  in  the  evening 
of  the  29th. 

Daily  use  of  the  system  brought  to  light  its  many  defects, 
and  for  the  next  three  or  four  years  it  required  on  Mr.  Farmer's 
part  almost  sleepless  vigilance  to  overcome  the  obstacles  to 
its  complete  and  triumphant  success.  During  the  first  fif- 
teen months  after  it  went  into  operation,  he  spent  forty-three 
nights  in  the  fire-alarm  office  in  Boston,  considering  it  unsafe  to 
leave  it  long  enough  to  return  to  his  home  in  Salem.  Twice  he 
was  sent  for  to  return  by  carriage  in  the  night.  Once,  in  a  ter- 
rific storm,  he  found  it  almost  impossible  to  obtain  a  horse  or 
driver.  Being  told  that  the  storm  was  too  terrible  for  man  or 
beast  to  be  out  in,  he  simply  replied, — "  If  I  am  willing  to  risk  my 
life,  j^ou  certainly  ought  to  be  willing  to  risk  one  of  your  horses." 
The  request  was  granted,  and  he  reached  his  office  in  Boston  past 
midnight  to  find  his  worst  fears  more  than  realized.  Every  line 
connected  with  the  main  office  had  been  broken  by  the  storm. 
The  oj^erators  were  at  their  posts  of  duty,  but  almost  despair- 
ing what  to  do.  If  a  fire  had  broken  out  that  night  the  ^vhole 
city  of  Boston  would  have  been  at  the  mercy  of  the  flames. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem  at  the  present  day,  the  firemen  were 
then  the  bitterest  enemies  of  the  system,  and  they  lost  no  oppor- 
tunity to  find  fault  with  it,  or  to  prevent  its  successful  introduc- 
tion. At  that  time  the  fire  department  was  a  voluntary  organiza- 
tion; fire  companies  were  clubs,  in  some  instances  political  organ- 
izations. False  alarms  were  frequent,  as  it  was  very  easy  to  start 
the  cr}"  of  "  Fire."  The  telegraphic  system  proposed  to  do  away 
with  all  this,  prevent  false  alarms,  and  consequently  much  of 
the  excitement :  hence  the  opposition  of  the  firemen.  With  Mr. 
Farmer,  however,  there  was  no  such  word  as  fail ;  and  the  labor 
went  steadily  on.     He  never  laid  down  his  care  of  it  until  1859. 


366  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

Then  lie  felt  that  it  was  old  enough  to  be  wholly  committed  to  the 
care  of  others.  He  generously  gave  the  system  to  the  city,  waiv- 
ing all  his  rights  under  the  patent  law.  He  resigned  his  position 
of  superintendent  in  August,  1855,  but  was  still  in  daily  com- 
munication with  those  having  charge  of  it  for  the  next  four  years, 
and  they  had  the  benefit  of  his  skill  and  experience  upon  which 
to  rely  in  every  emergency. 

This  was  the  fire-alarm  telegraph  of  the  past.  To-day  it  is 
in  use  in  almost  every  large  town  in  the  United  States  and  Can- 
ada. If  this  had  been  his  life  work,  it  would  have  been  worth 
living  for ;  but  it  was  only  the  beginning. 

In  1855  he  successfully  deposited  aluminum  from  its  chlo- 
ride solution,  which  never  had  been  accomplished  before.  He 
also  succeeded  in  depositing  copper  in  a  condition  both  hard 
and  brittle — a  great  achievement  in  electro-metallurgy.  In  1856 
he  commenced  the  business  of  electrotyping,  and  produced  the 
first  undercut  electrotype  in  this  country  from  a  gutta  j^ercha 
mold.  He  also  made  a  sheet  of  copper  one  eighth  of  an  inch  thick, 
brittle  as  glass  !  This  was  another  wonder  in  electro-iiietallurgj^ 
In  this  year  he  also  devoted  much  attention  to  electric  repeat- 
ers, electric  clocks,  and  printing  telegraphs,  and  constructed  for 
the  Dudley  observatory,  at  Albany,  N.  Y.,  a  chronograph  and  sys- 
tem of  electric  clocks.  He  invented,  in  conjunction  with  A.  F. 
Woodman,  a  closed  circuit-repeater,'  which  proved  to  be  very 
useful.  In  1856  he  constructed  and  sold  a  great  many  gyroscopes, 
to  one  of  which  he  applied  an  electro-magnetic  engine,  by  which  he 
kept  it  in  continual  rotation.  As  early  as  the  year  1852,  Mr. 
Farmer's  attention  was  directed  to  the  subject  of  multiplex  teleg- 
raphy. Between  this  time  and  1855,  he  devised  and  constructed 
an  apparatus  by  which  he  was  enabled  to  transmit  four  messa- 
ges simultaneously  over  a  single  wire.  In  November,  1855,  he 
showed  to  Joseph  B.  Stearns  the  apparatus  he  had  then  con- 
structed, and  explained  to  him  his  theorj^  of  the  manner  in  which 
this  could  be  accomplished.  This  was  twelve  years  before  Mr. 
Stearns  brought  out  his  ap^^aratus  known  as  the  "  Stearns  du- 
plex." About  this  time  Mr.  Farmer  devised  a  printing  telegraph, 
and  was  probably  the  first  to  make  use  of  what  is  known  as  the 
"unison  stop."  He  was  also  undoubtedly  the  first  to  suggest  the 
use   of    the   continuity-preserving  key  in  the   duplex  telegraph. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  367 

This  was  the  earliest  form  of  a  duplex  which  made  use  of  inde- 
pendent current  reversals  in  sending  messages.  He  pei'fected 
double  transmitters  with  reversed  currents  and  constant  resist- 
ance ;  worked  double  transmission  on  a  telegraph  line  between 
Boston  and  Worcester  in  1856,  both  instruments  being  in  the 
Boston  office,  and  two  messages  were  sent  simultaneously  in  op- 
posite directions. 

In  1852-3,  permission  was  granted  to  Capt.  Cliarles  Wilkes, 
U.  S.  Navy,  to  use  the  circuits  of  the  fire-alarm  system,  to  deter- 
mine, experimentally,  the  velocity  of  sound.  Stations  at  Charles- 
town  Navy  Yard,  Watertown  Arsenal,  Salem,  Cambridge,  South 
Boston,  and  at  Fort  Independence  were  connected  with  the 
central  office  in  Boston.  Mr.  Farmer  constructed  an  especial 
chronograpli  for  this  purpose,  and  many  experiments  were  made, 
the  results  of  which  were  duly  published  by  Cajjt.  Wilkes. 
Previous  to  this  time,  at  the  request  of  Prof.  Bache,  of  the 
U.  S.  Coast  Surve}^,  Mr.  Farmer  had  constructed  a  short  line  of 
telegraph,  connecting  the  observatory  at  Cambridge  with  the 
New  York  and  Boston  line  of  telegraph. 

In  1852  he  devised  one  or  more  closed  circuit-repeaters  ;  also 
commenced  the  construction  of  apparatus  for  the  simultaneous 
transmission  of  four  messages  upon  one  wire,  in  the  same  or  op- 
posite directions.  In  1852-3  he  made  many  experiments  uj)on 
rheostats,  voltometers,  and  magnetometers.  In  1853  he  received 
a  patent  on  an  improved  porous  cell  for  galvanic  batteries.  In 
1854  he  experimented  largely  on  magneto-electric  machines,  and 
deposited  copper  on  several  cells  in  series,  and  endeavored  to 
ascertain  the  mechanical  power  required  to  accomplish  it.  He 
also  employed  magneto-electric  machines  instead  of  a  galvanic 
battery,  for  the  purpose  of  striking  the  bells  of  the  fire-alarm  tel- 
egraph, and  also  applied  water-power  apparatus  instead  of  weights 
to  raise  the  bell-hammers.  He  contrived  and  constructed  a  resist- 
ance coil,  with  electro-static  capacity,  produced  by  winding  sheets 
of  tin-foil  between  each  layer  of  wire.  In  the  same  year  he  made 
improvements  in  diaphragm  water-meters.  In  1855  he  invented 
improvements  in  fire-alarm  signal  apparatus,  making  use  of  a  cur- 
rent in  one  direction  to  give  one  signal,  and  in  the  reverse  direc- 
tion to  give  another  and  different  one.  The  same  year  he  ex- 
perimented on  dial  telegraphs ;    also    on   telegraphs   for  double 


368  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY, 

transmission  in  the  same  direction ;  made  experiments  on  elec- 
tric signals  for  railroads  ;  invented  a  printing  telegraph  ;  made 
experiments  looking  to  the  construction  of  apparatus  whereby 
two  operators  could  send  simultaneously,  over  one  wire,  from  Wash- 
ington to  New  York,  reports  in  short-hand  of  congressional 
sjjeeches.  In  the  winter  of  1855-6  he  made  successful  experi- 
ments on  the  electro-deposition  of  aluminum. 

In  the  summer  of  the  same  year  he  read  a  paper  on  ^Multiplex 
Telegraphy  before  the  American  Association  for  the  Advancement 
of  Science,  and  was  elected  a  member  at  their  annual  meeting. 

During  the  winter  of  1855-6  he  continued  his  experiments  in 
duplex  and  printing  telegraphs.  In  1857-8  he  made  a  great 
many  experiments  with  double  transmitters.  At  that  time 
he  applied  for  an  Englisli  patent  on  a  combination  of  the 
duplex  and  printer.  He  also  constructed  a  duplex  printing 
telegra^^h,  driven  by  an  electro-magnetic  motor.  In  1858  Mr. 
Farmer  devised  electro-magnetic  apparatus,  to  show  the  height 
of  water  in  steam  boilers,  tanks,  reservoirs,  «S:c.  He  also  in- 
vented an  automatic  regulator,  for  controlling  the  distribution 
of  electricity  to  numerous  electric  lamps.  During  the  jeav  1858 
he  began .  a  series  of  investigations  upon  the  production  of 
light  by  electricity,  and  invented  an  automatic  regulator,  by 
which  the  light  can  be  kept  at  a  uniform  intensity  for  any 
length  of  time.  During  the  month  of  Jul}',  1859,  he  had  one 
of  the  rooms  of  his  house,  in  Salem,  Mass.,  lighted  every  even- 
ing by  this  subtle  agent.  The  light  was  very  beautiful,  and 
attracted  a  great  deal  of  attention  from  the  many  visitors  who 
came  to  see  it.  The  cost  of  the  light  was  the  only  hindrance  to 
its  coming  into  general  use. 

During  the  years  1860,  '61,  '62,  and  '63,  he  bestowed  much  at- 
tention upon  the  manufacture  of  alloys  of  aluminum,  with  copper 
and  other  metals.  One  of  the  alloys  produced  by  him  so  closely 
reseml)led  18-karat  gold,  as  to  deceive  any  one  but  an  expert. 
Between  the  years  1864  and  1868  he  devoted  a  good  deal  of 
time  to  perfecting  a  thermo-electric  battery,  and  in  1868  con- 
structed the  largest  one  ever  built.  This  was  used  for  the  deposi- 
tion of  copper  upon  steel,  in  the  production  of  what  is  known  as 
the  American  compound  telegraph  wire.  This  wire  was  a  joint 
invention  of  himself  and  Mr.  G.  F.   Millikin,  of  Boston,  Mass. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  369 

Improvements  in  the  manufacture  of  this  wire  have  now  readied 
such  a  stage,  that  it  can  be  furnished  more  cheaply  tlian 
an  iron  wire  of  equal  conductivity.  The  invention  is  thus  de- 
scribed :  "A  copper  telegraph  wire,  with  a  case  or  covering  of 
iron  or  steel,  steel  being  used  for  its  great  tensile  strength,  and 
copper  for  its  great  conductivity.'' 

During  the  latter  part  of  18(39,  Mr.  Farmer  was  employed  to 
examine  and  report  upon  the  electric  condition  of  the  land  lines 
and  of  the  cables  of  the  N"ew  York,  Newfoundland  &  London  Tel- 
egraph Co. ;  and,  as  a  result  of  these  investigations,  he  invented 
a  new  insulator,  of  which  he  furnished  over  thirty  thousand  to 
that  company,  and  they  have  given  the  highest  satisfaction. 

Early  in  the  year  1871,  his  attention  was  again  turned  to  the 
improvement  of  electro-magnetic  machines  ;  and  during  that  and 
the  following  years  he  manufactured  a  large  number  for  depositing 
coi^per  and  other  purposes.  He  has  made  many  valuable  improve- 
ments in  the  construction  of  these  machines,  especially  in  the  one 
contrived  for  the  firing  of  torpedoes.  This  invention  has  been 
adopted  by  the  United  States  government,  and  the  machines  are 
now  supplied  to  every  ship  in  our  navy.  Some  have  been  sold  to 
foreign  governments,  and  doubtless  they  will  soon  find  their 
way  into  all  navies.  They  are  also  used  quite  extensively  for 
blasting,  in  the  mines  of  Colorado  and  Nevada. 

In  October,  1872,  Mr.  Farmer  accepted  the  professorship  of 
electrical  science  at  the  U.  S.  Naval  Torpedo  Station,  established 
in  1869,  at  Newport,  K.  L,  for  the  instruction  of  the  officers  of  the 
navy  in  electricity  and  chemistry,  as  applied  to  the  arts  of  war ; 
and  since  his  connection  with  the  department,  the  station  has 
been  supplied  with  the  best  known  magneto-electric  machines  and 
appliances  to  be  found  in  this  or  any  other  country. 

Doubtless,  ere  long,  an  electric  light  will  be  furnished  to  the 
steam  marine  of  the  country ;  and,  without  question,  there  is  no 
man  in  the  country,  if  in  the  world,  who  has  devoted  so  many 
years  of  almost  continuous  thought  to  the  subject,  or  who  has 
conducted  so  many  experiments,  which  are  now  on  record,  as 
Prof.  Farmer. 

The  investigations  begun  in  1858  have  never  been  wholly  relin- 
quished. While  he  has  so  long  and  patiently  contributed  time, 
strength,  and  brains  to  this  work,  he  has  always  taken  especial 
24 


370  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

pains  to  say  that  his  life-long  friends,  Messrs.  Smith  and  Bates 
of  Boston,  Mass.,  have,  with  the  utmost  generosity,  supplied  him 
with  most  of  the  means  with  wliich  to  carry  on  his  experiments 
in  this  direction. 

In  all  of  Prof.  Farmer's  experiments  and  investigations,  the  out- 
side world  has  always  been  allowed  to  look  on  and  note  what  he 
was  doing  ;  but  the  eyes  of  the  curious  have  failed  to  follow  him 
since  his  engagement  at  the  torpedo  station,  as  much  of  the  work 
done  there  is  purposely  kept  secret ;  but  enough  is  seen  at  the 
annual  exhibition  of  tlie  class  under  instruction  to  show  that  he  is 
giving  the  result  of  his  life-work  for  tlie  good  of  his  country. 

His  highest  ambition  has  been  to  bring  out  and  develop  all  the 
inA^entive  talent  and  genius  there  is  in  the  officers  who  are  sent 
there  from  year  to  year,  either  as  instructors  or  students,  and  his 
pride  has  been  to  show  Avhat  they  can  do,  rather  than  what  he 
can  do  himself.  The  keenest  observer  would  not  discover  a  spirit 
of  jealousy  or  self-seeking  in  Prof.  Parmer ;  and  this  abnegation 
of  self  has  been  one  of  the  charms  which  have  drawn  all  hearts  to 
him  during  the  many  eventful  years  of  his  life,  since  it  has  been 
his  privilege  to  be  a  benefit  to  the  Avorld  through  his  rare  and 
wonderful  mechanical  gifts,  Avhich  haA'e  always  been  at  the  com- 
mand of  friend  or  foe.  To  the  higliest  and  lowest  he  is  alike 
accessible,  and  the  advice  and  information,  so  constantly  asked  on 
all  subjects,  is  never  withheld.  His  profession  requires  deep  re- 
search and  profound  thought,  and  he  finds  his  reward  in  search- 
ing after  hidden  things  in  science,  that  he  may  utilize  them  for 
the  good  of  the  hi;man  race. 

He  stands  in  the  foremost  rank  of  scientific  men  ;  and  it  may, 
perhaps,  be  truthfull}^  said,  that  as  an  electrician  he  is  without  a 
peer  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  while  among  the  scientists  of  Great 
Britain,  Prance,  and  Germany  his  opinions  are  quoted  as  authority. 
His  reputation  is  world-wide,  and  his  inventions  everywhere  known. 
He  is  often  called  as  an  electrical  expert  in  the  United  States  courts, 
where  his  statements  are  never  questioned.  He  has  taken  out  a 
great  many  different  patents,  of  which  the  world  has  now  the  ben- 
efit. An  eminent  electrician  said  of  him  recently, — "Mr.  Parmer  has 
undoubtedly  done  more  real  and  lasting  good  to  the  world  through 
his  abandoned  inventions,  than  through  those  which  he  has  per- 
fected ;  for  the  former  are  seed-thoughts  scattered  over  the  world, 


Early  Home  of  Prof.  M.  G.  Farmer. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  371 

■wliicli  many  will  gatlior  Tip,  and  from  them  reap  a  harvest  after 
his  life-work  is  over."  As  a  man  and  citizen,  Prof.  Farmer's  in- 
fluence has  ever  been  on  the  side  of  right.  To  the  poor  he  has 
been  ever  a  friend ;  to  the  weak,  a  helper. 

Unlike  many  scientists  of  the  day,  whose  speculations  lead  them 
to  doul>t  the  existence  of  a  Deity,  and  of  a  divine  revelation, 
Prof.  Farmer  sees  in  all  the  works  and  laws  of  nature  a  divine 
mind.  Each  new  discovery,  to  him,  is  one  of  God's  thoughts,  and 
with  him  religion  and  science  go  hand  in  hand.  Hence  his  is  a 
Christian  .household,  and  there  are  few  happier  homes  than  his. 
Not  many  men  have  done  more  for  the  present  and  future  genera- 
tions than  Moses  Gerrish  Farmer. 

FESSENDEN,    WILLIAM    PITT. 

He  was  son  of  Gen.  Samuel  Fessenden  of  Portland,  Maine, 
and  Ruth  Greene,  of  Boscawen,  and  was  born  16  Oct.,  1806,  in 
the  house  subsequently  owned  by  Dea.  Thomas  Gerrish.  The 
child  was  christened  after  the  Episcopal  service,  Daniel  Webster 
being  godfather.  He  graduated  from  Bowdoin  college  in  1823, 
with  distinguished  honors,  receiving  his  degree  of  A.  b.  before  he 
had  attained  his  seventeenth  year.  Such  precocity  has  had  few 
parallels  :  one  is  that  of  Edward  Everett ;  another,  the  great  com- 
moner of  England  for  whom  he  was  named — William  Pitt. 

During  his  college  days  he  taught  school  in  Lewiston,  Me., 
then  a  small  village,  where  he  employed  his  winter  evenings  in 
reading  the  books  in  the  village  library,  consisting  of  about  fifty 
volumes,  such  as  Bigland's  History  of  the  World,  Rollin's  Ancient 
History,  and  Plutarch's  Lives. 

Mr.  Fessenden  studied  law  with  his  father  and  Hon.  Charles  S. 
Davis,  of  Portland,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one,  opening  an  office  in  1827  at  Bridgeton,  an  insignifi- 
cant town,  remaining  tliei'e  two  years,  and  then  moving  to  Port- 
land, into  his  father's  office.  From  thence  he  went  to  Bangor, 
but  returned  to  Portland  and  settled  permanently  in  1832,  asso- 
ciating himself  with  Hon.  William  Willis. 

He  was  elected  the  same  year  to  represent  the  city  in  the  state 
legislature.  He  was  also  offered  the  Whig  nomination  to  con- 
gress, but  declined  being  a  candidate.  He  was  chosen  delegate 
to  the  national  convention  which  nominated  Henry  Clay.     De- 


372  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

dining  a  reelection  to  the  legislature,  he  devoted  himself  wholly 
to  his  profession  from  1832  to  1839,  when  he  was  again  elected 
to  the  legislature.  He  was  a  Whig,  hut  the  majority  of  the 
legislature  were  Democrats ;  yet  so  highly  was  he  esteemed  that  he 
was  made  chairman  of  the  judiciary  committee.  In  1840  he  was 
nominated  to  congress  by  the  Whigs,  and  was  elected,  outrun- 
ning the  strength  of  his  party.  Although  he  was  then  but  thirty- 
five  years  of  age,  he  made  a  very  favorable  impression  by  his 
speeches.  He  declined  a  renomination  in  1843,  and  returned  to 
his  profession,  receiving  the  votes  of  his  party  for  U.  S.  senator. 
Prom  1845  to  1852  he  gave  himself  wholly  to  his  profession,  with 
a  constantly  extending  practice  and  reputation.  During  this 
period  he  attracted  great  attention  by  his  argument  before  the 
supreme  court  at  Washington,  by  which  he  succeeded  in  reversing 
a  decision  by  Judge  Story. 

In  1840  he  was  a  member  of  the  national  convention  that  nom- 
inated Gen.  Harrison  for  the  presidency ;  in  1848,  a  member  of 
the  convention  that  nominated  Gen.  Taylor,  in  which  he  support- 
ed the  claims  of  Mr.  Webster ;  in  1850  he  was  a  candidate  for 
congress,  but  unwillingly.  He  was  believed  to  be  elected,  but 
the  seat  being  given  to  his  competitor,  he  declined  to  contest  it. 
In  1852  he  was  a  member  of  the  convention  that  nominated 
Gen.  Scott ;  in  1853  elected  to  the  U.  S.  senate  by  one  branch 
of  the  legislature,  but  a  concurrent  vote  was  required,  and 
there  was  no  choice.  In  1854  he  was  again  elected  to  the 
legislature,  which  was  Democratic  in  both  branches.  The  Kan- 
sas-Nebraska question  operating  as  a  disturbing  element,  he  was 
elected  U.  S.  senator  on  the  first  ballot,  by  a  union  of  the  Whigs 
and  Free  Soil  Democrats.  This  signalized  the  formation  of  the 
Eepublican  party  in  Maine,  in  which  Mr.  Fessenden  remained 
ever  after  a  leading  exponent. 

He  took  his  seat  in  the  senate  on  the  23d  of  February,  and  on 
the  night  of  March  3d  made  one  of  the  most  eloquent  and  effective 
speeches  delivered  against  the  Kansas-Nebraska  bill.  This  effort 
at  once  made  him  a  leading  member  of  the  senate,  and  his  voice 
was  heard  whenever  any  important  question  was  in  order.  He 
introduced  the  French  spoliation  bill,  opposed  a  bill  for  increasing 
the  army,  discussed  the  bill  for  protecting  United  States  officers, 
spoke  on  our  relations  with  England,  Kansas  affairs^  on  the  Iowa 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  373 

senatorial  election,  etc.,  etc.  He  reviewed  President  Buchanan's 
message  on  the  Kansas  question  in  the  most  severe  manner. 
During  this  time  he  was  a  leading  member  on  the  finance  com- 
mittee. In  1859  he  was  elected  to  the  senate  for  six  years,  and 
was  made  chairman  of  the  finance  and  library  committees,  and 
regent  of  the  Smithsonian  Institute.  The  year  before,  Bowdoin 
college  conferred  on  him  the  degree  of  ll.  d.,  and  Harvard  paid 
him  the  same  compliment  in  1864.  In  1861  he  was  appointed  a 
member  of  the  peace  congress  which  met  in  ^ebruar3^ 

Throughout  tlie  war  Mr.  Fessenden,  in  his  character  as  senator, 
was  a  firm  friend  and  ally  of  the  Union  cause,  giving  it  the 
assistance  of  his  logic,  eloquence,  and  counsel,  and  as  chairman  of 
the  finance  committee  aiding  the  secretary  of  the  treasury  in 
maintaining  the  national  credit.  In  1864,  on  the  30th  of  June, 
Mr.  Chase  resigned  the  secretaryship  of  the  treasury.  An  instant 
panic  ensued,  and  gold,  that  subtle  index  of  public  feeling,  rose 
from  90  premium  on  June  30th,  to  185  premium  July  11th.  The 
new  secretary  would  be  expected  to  quiet  this  storm,  and  Mr. 
Fessenden  was  chosen  by  Mr.  Lincoln  as  the  new  secretary.  He 
hesitated  to  accept,  his  health  was  so  delicate,  and  the  responsibil- 
ity difficult  and  overwhelming.  Senators  and  cabinet  officers 
urged,  however,  and  he  entered  on  his  duties  the  5th  of  July, 
The  wliole  country  looked  to  him  for  aid.  The  paper  dollar  was 
worth  only  thirty-four  cents.  The  sale  of  new  loans  had  been 
provided  for,  but  they  found  comparatively  few  purchasers.  Ger- 
man}',  Holland,  and  Switzerland  were  our  foreign  markets,  and 
political  bankruptcy  seemed  at  least  possible.  Mr.  Fessenden 
then  found  it  liis  duty,  and  a  duty  as  imperative  as  it  was  arduous, 
to  raise  at  once  the  large  sums  necessary  for  carrying  on  the  war, 
and  at  the  same  time  to  enhance  the  value  of  the  securities  already 
afloat.  He  appealed  to  the  people,  and,  by  withholding  any  fur- 
ther immediate  issue  of  greenbacks,  he  induced  the  banks  of  the 
country  to  adopt  the  national  banking  system.  So  successful  was 
he,  that,  on  his  resigning  the  secretaryship  to  take  his  seat  again 
in  the  senate,  to  which  he  had  been  reelected,  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1865,  gold  had  receded  to  99,  and  on  the  11th  of  May  fol- 
lowing it  was  quoted  at  30.  While  secretary  he  urged  ujDon  con- 
gress a  more  effective  system  of  taxation. 

In  the  spring  of  1868   the  trial  of  President  Johnson  began. 


374  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

Contrary  to  the  hopes  of  many  ardent  members  of  the  Republican 
party,  Mx-.  Fessenden  voted  against  impeachment.  He  gave  his 
reasons  clearly  and  explicitly.  A  storm  of  abuse  was  showered 
upon  him,  but  he  braved  it  all,  and  before  his  death  regained  in  a 
great  measure  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  those  who  had  been 
most  bitter. 

In  some  resjjects  Mr.  Fessenden  was  the  foremost  senator  dur- 
ing his  long  i^eriod  of  service.  In  many  critical  stages  of  legisla- 
tion his  word  was  decisive,  and  few  were  the  measures  of  con- 
gress which  did  not  bear  the  marks  of  his  acute  intellect  and  his 
sturdy  devotion  to  public  interests.  This  honorable  distinction  is 
not  due  so  much  to  his  learning,  or  to  any  striking  originality  of 
genius,  as  to  the  singular  harmony  of  his  powers  for  the  legisla- 
tive arena.  He  was  equally  quick  and  cool.  No  assault  could 
disturb  his  equanimity,  and  his  attack  was  as  adroit  as  vigorous. 
He  had  a  great  faculty  for  condensation,  of  going  straight  to 
the  point,  of  using  none  but  the  most  direct  and  lucid  English. 
When  he  was  transferred  to  the  senate,  he  was  the  best  follower 
that  Webster  ever  had  there  in  clear  and  compact  statement.  But 
what  particularly  gave  force  to  his  words  was  the  high  character 
of  the  man. 

He  was  long  a  sufferer  from  dyspepsia,  and  for  many  years 
was  an  invalid,  yet  by  force  of  will  going  on  with  his  work. 
He  was  of  medium  height,  frail  in  person,  but  erect  always, 
whether  sitting  or  standing.  His  clear  gray  eyes  looked  out  over 
finely  drawn  features,  that  seldom  changed,  even  under  his  most 
fervid  oratory.  To  those  who  did  not  know  him,  he  may  have 
been  classed  as  stern  and  unyielding ;  but  beneath  a  cold  exterior 
a  warm  heart  was  beating. 

Once  an  estrangement  occurred  between  Mr.  Fessenden  and  a 
senator,  from  words  spoken  in  debate.  After  a  few  days  of  cold- 
ness, the  page  of  the  senate  laid  a  note  on  ]Mr.  Fessenden's  desk, 
sent  by  the  senator,  who  said, — "  If  I  have  offended  j'ou,  I  ask 
your  forgiveness  ;  if  you  have  offended  me,  I  have  forgotten  it." 
In  an  instant  Mr.  Fessenden  was  on  his  feet.  He  crossed  the 
chamber,  and  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  reached  out  his  hand  to  his 
old  friend. 

Mr.  Fessenden,  in  debate,  once  dropped  a  word  which  was 
thought  to  be  an  insult  to   Mr.  Seward.     When  informed  of  it, 


M^ /^.  cA/t/Wc.^^^^ • 


HOll.  V.ILLIAM  PITT  FESSENDEN. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 


375 


and  seeing  tliat  a  wrong  construction  might  be  placed  upon  it,  he 
went  instantly  to  Mr.  Seward  and  said, — 

''  Mr.  Seward,  I  have  insulted  3'ou.  I  am  sorry  for  it.  I  did 
not  mean  it." 

The  apolog)^,  so  prompt  and  frank,  delighted  Mr.  Seward,  who, 
grasping  the  offered  hand,  replied, — 

"  God  bless  you,  Fessenden ;  I  wish  you  w-ould  insult  me 
again !  " 

]\Ir.  Fessenden  was  an  able  debater. — his  style  clear,  forcible, 
concise,  direct ;  his  language  simple  and  natural.  There  was  a 
striking  resemblance  between  him  and  Hon.  William  E.  Glad- 
stone, of  England, — the  same  methods  and  manner,  force,  earnest- 
ness, tenacity  of  pur})ose,  clearness  of  statement,  precision  and 
elegance  of  diction. 

He  died  suddenly,  Sept.  8,  1869,  after  a  week's  illness. 

FRENCH,    HEXRY    S.    G.,    REV., 

Was  the  son  of  Mr.  Joel  French,  a  trader  of  Boscawen,  with  whom 
Daniel  Webster  boarded  a  part  of  the  time  during  his  residence 
in  Boscawen.  He  was  born  in  the  house  now  occupied  by  Mr. 
James  Gill,  nearly  opposite  the  Congregational  meeting-house, 
27  April,  1807.  Upon  the  death  of  Mr.  French,  the  son  became  an 
apprentice  as  printer  to  George  Hough,  in  Concord.  He  greatly 
desired  to  obtain  a  collegiate  education,  and  by  industry  and  econ- 
omy prepared  himself  for  college,  and  graduated  at  Yale  in  1833. 
He  spent  three  j^ears  in  the  Andover  Theological  Seminary,  grad- 
uating in  1836.  He  married  Sarah  C.  Allison,  of  Concord,  and 
sailed  to  the  East  Indies  as  a  missionary,  preaching  at  Singapore 
a  few  months  while  acquiring  the  Siamese  language. 

He  was  of  slender  frame,  and  unable  to  withstand  the  enervat- 
ing influences  of  a  tropical  climate.  He  died  at  Bangkok,  capital 
of  Siam,  14  Feb.,  1842.     [See  Gen.] 

FELLOWS,    HEZEKIAH. 

He  was  born  in  Salisbury,  22  Dec,  1782 ;  settled  in  Boscawen, 
on  Corser  hill,  and  with  his  brother,  Moses,  engaged  in  trade, 
doing  a  large  business,  for  a  country  store,  from  1820  to  1830. 
He  was  elected  town-clerk  in  1817,  and  continued  to  fill  the  office 


376  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

to  1855,  wlieu,  under  the  general  sweep  of  the  ''  Know  Nothing  " 
or  Native  American  party,  which  had  a  sudden  rise  and  quick  de- 
cline, he  failed  of  an  election.  He  was  elected  representative  with 
Ezekiel  Webster  in  1820 ;  again  in  1824  and  1825. 

He  was  a  man  of  great  probity  of  character.  His  word  was  as 
good  as  his  bond.  His  fellow-citizens  trusted  him  implicitly,  nor 
did  he  ever  do  an  act  to  forfeit  their  confidence.  He  was  a  jus- 
tice of  the  peace  ;  and,  in  the  daj-s  when  men  resorted  to  litiga- 
tion for  settlement  of  their  difficulties,  Esquire  Fellows  was  the 
magistrate  who  would  decide  without  fear  or  favor  to  either  party, 
but  on  the  merits  of  the  case. 

He  dealt  honestly  with  all  men.  His  prices  of  whatever  he 
had  for  sale  were  plainly  marked  on  his  goods.  He  had  no  cypher 
to  represent  the  cost  or  the  price.  Be  the  purchaser  the  most  re- 
spected citizen  of  the  community,  or  one  low  down  in  society, 
there  was  the  same  line  of  conduct.  A  child  would  drive  just  as 
good  a  bargain  as  the  shrewdest  adult. 

He  was  kind,  genial,  patient,  endowed  richly  with  common- 
sense,  and  sense  that  is  not  always  common.  When  the  Congre- 
gational meeting-house  was  erected  in  1823,  he  presented  the 
society-  with  a  large  Bible  for  the  pulpit.  He  was  a  constant  at- 
tendant at  church,  occupying  the  pew  nearest  the  pulpit  at  the 
right  hand. 

Prior  to  1835,  it  was  the  custom  of  town-clerks  to  make  public 
announcement  of  those  intending  marriage,  which  was  done  by 
Esquire  Fellows  upon  the  pronouncement  of  the  benediction,  at 
the  close  of  the  afternoon  service.  The  congregation  waited  to 
hear  the  "  crying,"  as  it  was  termed,  and  possilil}'  allowed  the  pub- 
lishing of  the  bans  to  usurp  the  place  of  the  sermon  in  their  minds, 
as  they  smiled  and  nodded  one  to  another. 

Esquire  Fellows  was  simple  in  all  his  ways.  He  had  many  warm 
friends  in  Boston,  Avhich  city  he  used  to  visit  twice  a  year  to  pur- 
chase goods,  for  which  he  always  paid  cash  [for  family,  see  Gene- 
alogy]. He  resided  in  the  house  now  standing  opposite  the  resi- 
dence of  Mrs.  Simeon  B.  Little.  He  died,  10  Oct.,  1861,  honored 
and  respected  by  all. 

FELLOWS,    MOSES. 

Capt.  Moses  Fellows,  son  of  Moses  Fellows,  brother  of  Hezekiah, 
was  born  in   Salisbury,  26  Jan.,  1786.     He  learned  the  trade  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  377 

joiuei",  and  settled  in  Boscawen,  in  the  house  now  the  residence 
of  Rev.  Mr.  Buxton,  to  which  he  added  a  second  story  ahout 
1835  or  1836.  He  was  elected  selectman  in  1825,  '26,  "27,  '28, 
'29,  30,  '31,  '33,  '35,  '37,  '39,  and  without  douht  would  have 
been  again  and  again  entrusted  with  the  affairs  of  the  town 
had  he  not  removed  to  Salisbury.  He  was  elected  represent- 
ative an  1832  and  1835,  and  was  repeatedly  moderator.  He  was 
energetic  in  business,  and  gave  the  same  fidelity  to  his  public 
duties  that  he  gave  to  his  private  interests.  He  was  a  superior 
mechanic,  and  made  the  model  for  the  covered  bridge  across  the 
Blackwater,  now  standing.  Like  his  brother,  he  was  endowed 
with  that  sense  which  goes  b}^  the  name  of  common,  but  which  is 
understood  to  be  superior  to  the  sense  of. most  men.  He  was  de- 
cided in  his  convictions  of  what  was  right  and  what  was  best,  nor 
did  he  ever  hesitate  to  make  them  known.  He  was  a  supporter 
of  civil  and  religious  institutions,  and  his  influence  was  ever  on 
the  side  of  right.  His  removal  to  Salisbury  was  felt  to  be  a  loss 
to  the  town.     He  died  in  Salisbury,  1864. 

GAGE,    WILLIAM    H. 

Hon.  William  Haselton  Gage  was  born  in  Sanbornton,  21 
March,  1791 ;  removed  to  Boscawen  in  1804,  and  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  Col.  Isaac  Chandler,  on  the  farm  occupying  the  south- 
eastern corner  of  the  town,  which  upon  the  death  of  Col.  Chandler 
came  into  his  jjossession.  After  remaining  with  Col.  C.  four  years, 
he  returned  to  his  native  town,  and  learned  the  business  of  dress- 
ing cloth  of  Jonathan  Chase,  returning  to  Boscawen  in  1812, 
where  he  began  the  businesses  of  lumbering,  wool-carding,  and 
cloth-dressing.  These  occupations  engrossed  his  attention  to  1833. 
The  building  in  which  he  began  business  now  forms  part  of  the 
''  Harris  "  manufactory. 

Mr.  Gage  in  his  political  views  differed  from  a  majority  of  the 
citizens  of  the  town,  and  though  a  Democrat,  such  was  his  probity, 
so  universally  was  he  esteemed,  that  party  lines  were  forgotten, 
and  the  man,  not  the  politician,  was  elected  as  representative  in. 
1833,  and  again  in  1836.  He  served  frequently  as  selectman, 
was  elected  road  commissioner  for  the  county  in  1841-2,  and 
a  member  of  the  senate  in  1846,  '47,  and  '48. 

He  was  social  and  kind  to  all,  given  to  hospitality,  and  a  firm 


378 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 


supporter  of  religious  aud  educational  institutions.  Ilis  life  was 
prolonged  to  see  the  little  neighborhood,  of  a  few  dwellings  in 
1804,  increase  to  a  thrift_y  village. 

His  earl_y  educational  advantages  were  limited — a  want  keen- 
ly felt,  and  which  awakened  a  desire  to  do  what  he  could  to 
promote  the  education  of  his  children  and  the  community.  He 
was  active  in  the  establishment  of  Penacook  academy,  conveying 
two  acres  to  the  institution  as  a  free  gift,  and  contril>uting  liber- 
ally towards  the  erection  of  the  buildings.  In  this  connection,  it  is 
worthy  of  notice  that  Wm.  H.  Gage  and  his  brother  Eichard 
occuj^ied  a  large  property  jointly  twenty-seven  years,  and  when 
the  children  of  both  arrived  at  manhood,  a  separation  was  accom- 
plished in  the  same  spirit  in  which  the  brothers  had  lived  quietly 
and  satisfactorily.  Mr.  Gage  married  Polly,  daughter  of  P>rad- 
bury  Morrison,  of  Sanbornton,  25  Jan.,  1814.  He  died  26  Sept., 
1872.     His  wife  died  15  Feb.,  1833  (see  Gen.). 

GAGE,    ISAAC    K. 

Isaac  Kimball  Gage,  son  of  Wm.  H.  and  Polly  (Morrison)  Gage, 
was  born  27  Oct.,  1818,  obtained  his  education  at  the  district 
school  and  one  year  at  Pranklin  and  Boscawen  academies.  In 
1841  he  succeeded  Jeremiah  Kimball  as  partner  in  trade  with 
Luther  G.  Johnson,  in  Fisherville,  in  the  store  opposite  his  present 
residence.  He  remained  in  trade  till  1850,  when,  desiring  a  more 
active  and  profitable  employment,  he  moved  to  Lawrence,  Mass., 
and  entered  the  service  of  the  Essex  Co.  In  1852,  upon  the  or- 
ganization of  the  first  city  government,  he  was  elected  to  the  com- 
mon council,  and  in  1853  was  president  of  that  body. 

Eetiirning  to  P)0scawen  in  1854,  he  became  one  of  the  firm  of 
Gage,  Porter  &  Co.,  in  the  manufacture  of  saws,  which  has  been 
since  carried  on.  He  has  frequently  been  chosen  to  till  ofifices  in 
town,  was  treasurer  of  the  New  England  Agricultural  Society 
from  1865  to  1860,  was  member  of  the  convention  to  revise  the 
constitution  in  1876,  and  is  president  of  the  Penacook  Savings 
Bank. 

Mr.  Gage  married  Miss  Susan  Johnson,  daughter  of  Eeuben 
Johnson,  27  Oct.,  1842  [see  Gen.]. 


Residence  of  Dea.  Thomas  Gerrish. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  379 

GERIMSH,    THOMAS. 

Dea.  Thomas  Geu'risli,  sou  of  Col.  Henry  Gerrish,  was  born 
12  Se})t.,  1786.  He  married  (1)  Betsey  Gerrish,  daughter  of  Col. 
Joseph  Gerrish,  his  cousin  ;  (2)  Elizabeth  Patrick,  sister  of  Rev. 
Wm.  Patrick,  of  Canterbui-y.  He  settled  on  Boscawen  Plain, 
j)urchasing  the  estate  formerly  occu[)ied  by  Nathaniel  Greene,  Esq., 
a  view  of  which  is  given  in  this  volume.  He  was  an  admirer  of 
horses,  especially  those  adapted  to  farui  work,  and  had  a  span  so 
well  trained  that  he  never  tired  of  them.  On  Sunday,  before  the 
meeting-house  was  repaired,  when,  at  the  close  of  the  service,  the 
seats  went  down  with  a  bang,  the  horses,  knowing  that  they  were 
needed,  were  accustomed  to  back  out  of  the  shed  and  move  to  the 
door-step,  ready  for  their  kind-hearted  master,  knowing  that  oats 
were  in  waiting  at  home.  When  threshing  machines  came  into 
use  Dea.  Gerrish  purchased  one,  and  employed  his  horses  profit- 
ably from  August  till  mid-winter,  threshing  for  the  farmers 
throughout  the  county. 

He  was  energetic,  an  early  riser,  and  prompt  in  all  his  actions. 
The  energy  which  characterized  his  daily  business  was  manifest 
in  his  religious  life.  He  was  an  earnest  Christian,  a  [)illar  in  the 
chui-ch,  and  was  deacon  for  many  years.  He  was  kind  and 
genial,  and  was  not  only  honored  and  respected,  but  was  regarded 
with  affection  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  was  elected  representa- 
tive two  years  [see  Officers]. 

During  the  last  j^ears  of  his  life  he  resided  with  his  son  Thomas 
in  We])ster.  His  old  age  was  beautiful,  through  his  resignation, 
hopefulness,  and  expectation  of  a  better  life  beyond  the  present. 
He  died  19  Feb.,  1875. 

GERKISH,    HEXRY,    COL. 

Col.  Henry  Gerrish,  the  eldest  son  of  Capt.  Stephen  Gerrish, 
one  of  the  first  settlers,  was  born  in  Boscawen,  2  IMay,  1742. 
He  was  active  in  public  affairs  tlirough  life,  possessing  all  the 
qualities  of  character  to  make  him  a  leader  in  any  community, 
and  especially  in  a  community  like  that  of  Boscawen. 

In  17GG,  at  the  age  of  tw^enty-four,  he  was  an  ensign  in  the 
militia,  and  a  selectman.  He  was  often  elected  moderator  of 
the  town-meetings.     He  was  elected  delegate   to  the   first  state 


380  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

convention,  in  1774 ;  again,  in  1775,  representing  Boscawen  and 
Salisbury  ;  again,  in  1779  and  '80. 

He  was  a  land  surveyor,  and  liis  services  were  called  for  in 
every  direction,  not  only  by  the  citizens  of  Boscawen,  but  of  the 
surrounding  towns.  He  was  called  upon  to  lay  out  roads. 
Being  a  justice  of  the  peace,  he  was  often  selected  as  the  fair- 
minded  and  judicious  magistrate  and  arbiter,  to  settle  the  diffi- 
culties between  the  citizens  of  the  town  and  county. 

He  was  captain  in  the  militia  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revo- 
lution, and  marched  with  the  minute-men  to  Medford,  upon  the 
receipt  of  the  news  of  the  battle  of  Lexington.  He  was  lieuten- 
ant-colonel of  Stickney's  regiment  at  the  time  of  the  Bennington 
campaign,  but,  having  been  detailed  to  other  duty,  was  not  in 
the  battle.  He  was  present  at  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne,  being 
on  the  left  flank  of  Burgoyne  at  Battenkill,  where  he  acted  as 
clerk  at  the  sale  of  some  of  the  plunder  taken  from  the  British. 
The  mess-book  used  on  that  occasion  is  still  in  existence.  He 
often  acted  as  the  town's  agent  during  the  Bevolution,  perform- 
ing the  duties  assigned  him  with  the  same  care  and  energy  that 
characterized  the  management  of  his  private  affairs. 

He  lived  on  Fish  street,  and  was  owner  of  a  large  tract  of  land, 
now  the  county  farm.  His  house  stood  near  the  present  build- 
ings. He  was  a  blacksmith  as  well  as  land-surveyor,  and  forged 
mill-cranks  and  made  mill-saws  in  his  forge  and  on  a  common  an- 
vil. He  kept  a  tavern,  and  his  house  was  known  as  the  Travel- 
lers' Home.  Many  people,  too  poor  to  pay  for  a  bed,  passed  the 
night  under  his  roof,  sleeping  on  bear-skins  before  the  generous 
fire  in  the  large  old-fashioned  fireplace  in  his  bar-room. 

It  is  narrated  that  the  settlers  from  iSTew  Chester  (Hill),  Bris- 
tol, Bridgewater,  and  other  towns  up  the  Merrimack,  when  the 
corn-mill  at  the  head  of  King  street  was  the  nearest  to  their  homes, 
were  accustomed  to  leave  home  in  the  morning,  reach  Col.  Gerrish's, 
spend  the  night  in  his  bar-room,  purchase  a  grist,  carry  it  to  the 
mill  on  their  backs,  get  it  ground  in  season  to  return  to  the  hos- 
pitable home  at  night,  where  they  would  make  a  Johnny-cake, 
or  hasty-pudding,  for  supj)er  and  breakfast ;  and  on  the  third 
morning,  with  the  bag  on  their  backs,  start  for  their  distant 
homes. 

Col.  Gerrish  became  an  extensive  land-owner.  At  that  time,  large 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 


381 


tracts  of  land  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state  could  be  had  at 
low  rates,  and  he  became  proprietor  of  many  thousand  acres. 

Eev.  Mr.  Price  says  of  him,  that  "  from  early  life  he  was  a  pro- 
fessor of  religion,  and  uniformly  gave  his  support  to  religious  so- 
ciety. He  acquired  a  great  estate,  and  brought  up  a  large  family 
of  children,  the  most  of  whom  he  lived  to  see  well  settled,  and 
whose  habits  evidenced  that  his  government  over  them  was  salu- 
tary ;  and  his  house,  though  for  manj^  years  the  stranger's  home, 
was  a  house  of  order." 

GERRISH,    FKANK    L., 

Only  son  of  Col.  Enoch  and  Miranda  (Lawrence)  Gerrish,  was 
born  19  May,  1855,  educated  at  Phillips  academy,  Andover, 
Mass.,  and  at  the  Chandler  Scientific  School,  at  Hanover.  He 
afterwards  served  a  year  in  the  New  Hampshire  Savings  Bank 
in  Concord,  and  is  now  preparing  himself  for  agricultural  pur- 
suits, to  which  he  is  devotedly  attached. 

GERRISH,    EXOCH,    COL., 

Only  son  of  Isaac  and  Caroline  (Lawrence)  Gerrish,  was  born  at  the 
old  homestead,  on  High  street,  28  July,  1822.  He  obtained  his 
education  at  the  academies  in  Boscawen,  Franklin,  and  Meriden. 
On  the  death  of  his  father  he  inherited  a  large  portion  of  his 
estate,  and  with  it,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  came  the  care  and  man- 
agement of  an  extensive  farm.  An  addition  of  more  than  one 
hundred  acres  made  it  one  of  the  largest  in  Merrimack  county. 
For  twenty  years  he  devoted  his  time  to  the  cultivation  and  im- 
provement of  his  soil,  successfully  developing  its  resources  by 
raising  live  stock,  hay,  and  wool,  when  its  heavy  growth  of  wood 
and  timber  attracted  the  attention  of  the  lumber  manufacturer, 
to  whom  it  was  sold  in  1865. 

Possessing  a  love  for  military  parade  and  drill,  he  was  jjro- 
moted  from  the  lowest  rank  to  that  of  colonel  of  the  21st  Regi- 
ment N.  H.  Militia. 

He  was  often  elected  to  fill  the  various  offices  in  town,  the 
duties  of  which  were  well  performed.  A  friend  to  the  church 
where  his  ancestors  worshipped,  and  to  religious  institutions  gen- 
erallj^,  he  manifested  an  interest  in  all  measures  that  contributed 
to  their  usefulness. 


382  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

He  moved  to  Concord  after  tlie  sale  of  liis  farm,  where  his 
sound  judgment,  particularly  in  matters  of  finance,  was  diily  ap- 
jjreciated,  as  is  shown  by  his  appointment  as  one  of  the  trustees  of 
the  New  Hampshire  Savings  Bank  in  Concord,  and  of  the  Rolfe 
&  Rumford  Asylum. 

GERRISH,    ISAAC. 

Isaac  Gerrish,  who  resided  on  the  homestead  inherited  from  his 
father,  at  the  foot  of  Gerrish  hill,  on  High  street,  was  horn  27 
Nov.,  1782.  By  his  untiring  industry  and  frugality  he  from  time 
to  time  added  to  the  old  homestead,  so  that  he  was  the  possessor 
of  the  largest  cultivated  farm  in  town,  which  was  devoted  to  stock- 
raising,  and  manufacturing  hutter  and  cheese.  The  products 
of  the  dairies  of  Boscawen  were  well  and  favorably  known  in  the 
markets  of  New  England.  His  dwelling  and  out-huildings  were 
burned  1  May,  1824.  The  same  year  he  built  a  new  set  of  build- 
ings, which  at  that  time  were  the  largest  and  most  commodious  in 
town.  His  services  and  advice  were  frequently  sought  for  in 
making  deeds,  wills,  and  other  papers,  usually  executed  by  a  jus- 
tice of  the  peace.  Being  a  neighbor  of  Bev.  Dr.  Wood,  his  at- 
tachments to  him,  and  the  church  of  which  he  was  pastor,  were 
ver}^  strong,  and  his  place  at  the  meetings  was  seldom  vacant.  A 
kind  neighbor,  strongly  attached  to  friends,  given  to  hospitality^ 
his  house  Avas  open ;  and  the  pleasant  firesides  in  the  large  rooms 
of  his  dwelling  will  be  long  remembered  by  the  many  who  have 
enjoyed  them.     He  died  22  Aug.,  1842. 

GERRISH,    ENOCH,  MAJ. 

Maj.  Enoch  Gerrish,  third  son  of  Capt.  Stephen,  one  of  the  first 
settlers,  was  born  in  Boscawen  23  Jan.,  1750.  When  eighteen 
years  of  age  he  built  his  log  cabin  on  the  east  side  of  the  road 
now  called  High  street,  where  he  cleared  five  acres  of  land,  being 
part  of  the  homestead  where  he  and  his  posterity  have  since  re- 
sided. Chestnut  rails,  split  by  him  one  hundred  and  ten  years 
ago,  are  now  in  a  good  state  of  preservation  on  the  farm.  Al- 
though his  principal  occupation  was  the  care  and  improvement  of 
his  land,  he  had  a  fondness  for  mechanical  labor,  and  framed 
many  of  the  buildings  in  town,  including  the  churches.  The  first 
bridge  across  the  Merrimack,  at  the  Plain,  was  built  by  him.     He 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  383 

had  a  love  for  militaiy  parade,  as  his  title  indicates.  During  his 
life,  he  was  chosen  to  fill  the  offices  of  moderator,  selectman,  and 
representative  to  the  general  court.  A  man  strictly  religious,  he 
joined  Dr.  Wood's  church  in  1781,  and  was  elected  deacon  in 
1783,  an  office  which  he  held  until  his  death,  1  May,  1821. 

GERRISH,    JACOB, 

The  fifth  son  of  Col.  Henry  and  Martha  (Cloiigh)  Gerrish,  was 
born  at  the  old  homestead  on  the  river  road,  now  the  Merrimack 
county  almshouse,  10  Nov.,  1779.  His  father  was  a  large  land- 
owner, and  was  able  to  give  to  each  of  his  sons,  as  they  became  of 
age,  a  quantity  of  land  suitable  for  a  farm.  The  portion  assigned 
to  Jacob  is  situated  just  north  of  the  homestead.  He  married 
Sarah,  daughter  of  David  Ames,  of  Canterbury,  15  April,  1803, 
settled  upon  his  land,  and  continued  the  labor  of  clearing  the  rich 
intervale,  surrounding  himself  with  the  comforts  of  home.  The 
farm  extended  westerly  nearly  one  mile,  from  the  river  to  the  saw- 
mill built  by  Benjamin  and  John  Kimball,  comprising,  in  addition 
to  the  intervale,  the  low  lands  drained  by  "  Stirrup  Iron  Brook," 
and  the  high  land  beyond  known  as  "light-gains."  The  intervale 
was  covered  with  a  growth  of  large  pine  trees,  which  in  clearing 
were  rolled  into  the  river  to  get  rid  of  them. 

On  this  farm  he  reared  a  large  famil}'.  He  subsequently  added 
to  his  estate  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  in  Northfield  and  Can- 
terbury, so  that  he  was  able  to  sub-divide  and  give  to  each  of  his 
three  sons  a  valuable  farm.  On  the  completion  of  his  new  and 
substantial  dwelling,  now  standing  near  the  railroad  depot,  he 
opened  it  as  a  hotel,  which  he  kept  for  many  years.  His  house 
was  often  the  head-quarters  of  the  lumbermen  from  the  north, 
who  were  engaged  in  driving  logs  down  the  Merrimack  to  be 
manufactured  into  lumber  at  the  mills  near  the  mouth  of  the  Con- 
toocook.  He  was  kind  and  hospitable  to  strangers,  indulgent  to 
his  family,  a  good  neighbor,  active  in  sustaining  schools  and  the 
institutions  of  religion,  and  ready  to  aid  in  every  effort  to  advance 
the  prosperity  of  the  town.     He  died  22  Ma}',  1861. 

GERRISH,    MARTHA    C,    MRS., 

Daughter  of  Jeremiah  Clough,  Esq.,  of  Canterbury,  N.  H.,  was 
born  10  Nov.,  1742.     She  married  Col.  Henry  Gerrish,  of  Bos- 


384 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 


cawen,  10  Nov.,  1763,  and  was  the  worthy  mother  of  seven  sons 
and  four  daughters.  Tlie  united  ages  of  these  eleven  children 
amount  to  over  850  years, — average  age  exceeding  77. 

Her  early  j'ears  were  thrilled 
with  the  events  of  Indian  wars 
and  block-house  life,  the  family 
residing  for  a  time  in  the  fort  at 
Canterbury,  of  which  her  father 
was  commander.  Endowed  with 
a  vigorous  constitution,  and  in- 
ured to  the  privations  and  hard- 
ships of  frontier  life,  she  was  a 
pattern  of  industry  and  frugal- 
ity, "  working  willingly  with  her 
hands."  Like  the  model  wife  de- 
scribed in  Prov.  31,  she  was  also 
skilful  and  ingenious  ;  and  there 
is  now  in  the  possession  of  one 
of  her  grand-daughters  a  skirt 
of  home-made  cloth,  embroidered 
in  colors  from  natural  flowers  by 
Martha  Clough  in  1763.  In 
those  days  it  often  became  neces- 
sary for  women  to  assist  their 
husbands  and  brothers  on  the 
farm.  Said  one  of  her  sons, — "  My  mother,  when  twenty  years  of 
age,  would  mow  all  day  in  the  field,  and  keep  up  with  the  men." 
Another  son  remembered  seeing  his  father  ride  on  horseback 
three  miles  to  church,  with  his  wife  sitting  on  a  pillion  behind 
him,  each  with  a  child  in  arms.  On  showing  her  profile  (see 
engraving)  to  Dea.  Thomas  Gerrish,  her  youngest  son,  only  five 
weeks  before  his  death,  he  said,—"  That  looks  like  my  mother's 
face  ;  "  and  then  added,  "  I  remember  of  her  riding  to  meeting  on 
horseback,  while  I,  a  boy  of  fifteen,  sat  on  behind."  Mrs.  Ger- 
rish died  15  Oct.,  1826. 

GREENE,    NATHANIEL. 

Nathaniel  Greene  was  born  in  Boscawen,  20  May,  1797.     He 
was  christened  Peter;   but  having  great  respect  for  the  mem- 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  385 

ory  of  his  father,  by  permission  of  the  legislature  of  Massachu- 
setts he  took  the  name  of  ISTathaniel. 

Educational  advantages  at  the  beginning  of  the  century  were 
limited  to  eight  or  ten  weeks  of  schooling  in  winter,  and  a  term 
of  about  the  same  length  in  summer.  Two  of  his  teachers  were, — 
Miss  Lucy  Hartwell,  who  afterwards  became  the  wife  of  Col. 
Timothy  Dix,  and  Rev.  Henry  Coleman,  then  a  young  man,  who 
subsequently  was  a  minister  in  Salem,  Mass.,  and  who  distin- 
guished himself  as  a  writer  on  agricultural  subjects.  One  of  Mr. 
Greene's  schoolmates  was  John  Adams  Dix.  Together  they 
stood  Avith  their  toes  to  a  crack  in  the  floor,  their  spelling-books 
in  their  hands,  and  made  their  "  manners  "  when  Lucy  Hartwell 
said,  "  Attention  !  " 

At  the  age  of  ten  he  went  to  Hopkinton,  and  became  a  clerk  in 
a  store.  While  there  he  had  some  three  months'  additional  school- 
ing. 

The  death  of  his  father  when  he  was  but  eleven  years  of  age, 
leaving  an  embarrassed  estate,  compelled  him  to  begin  the  strug- 
gle of  life  under  adverse  circumstances.  He  was  a  great  reader, 
and  devoured  all  books  that  came  in  his  way,  and  which  he  could 
find  time  to  read.  By  chance  he  read  a  memoir  of  Franklin, 
which  awakened  in  him  a  desire  to  be  a  printer,  and  especially  to 
become  an  editor.  The  idea  took  complete  possession  of  his 
youthful  mind.  He  thought  of  it  by  day,  and  dreamed  of  it  by 
night. 

At  this  time — 1809 — a  new  paper  made  its  appearance  in  Con- 
cord— the  Neio  Hampshire  Patriot,  established  by  Isaac  Hill. 
On  the  4th  of  July  he  walked  from  Hopkinton  to  Concord,  and 
offered  himself  to  Mr.  Hill  as  an  apprentice,  and  took  his  place  at 
the  case.  That,  however,  was  not  the  end  of  his  ambition,  but 
only  the  beginning.  It  was  not  to  give  other  men's  thoughts  to 
the  world,  but  his  own. 

Having  left  Mr.  Hill,  he  became  connected  in  1S12  witli  the 
Concord  Gazette,  published  by  Jesse  Tuttle.  This  was  the  be- 
ginning of  his  editorial  career.  The  newspaper  at  that  time  usu- 
ally contained  a  ponderous  article  on  some  j)olitical  topic,  the 
latest  news  from  Europe,  the  victories  of  the  French  armies  or  of 
the  Prussians,  but  very  little  local  information.  There  were  no 
reports  of  meetings,  no  gathering  up  of  home  incidents.  The 
25 


386  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

paper  was  issued  weekly,  and  there  was  abundant  time  for  an  edi- 
tor to  prepare  liis  thunderbolt  to  launch  at  the  opposing  political 
party. 

In  1814  Mr.  Greene  moved  to  Portsmouth,  and  became  con- 
nected with  the  Nem  Hampshire  War  Journal,  published  by 
Beck  &  Foster.  He  remained  there  onl}^  a  year,  when  he  removed 
to  Haverhill,  Mass.,  and  became  connected  with  the  Haverhill 
Gazette,  published  by  Burrell  «&  Tileston.  In  this  situation, 
although  but  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  had  the  sole  editorial  su- 
pervision of  the  paper. 

In  1817,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  he  became  his  own  publisher, 
and  started  the  Essex  Patriot.  The  vigor  and  energy  of  his 
writing  had  already  attracted  the  attention  of  the  public,  and  he 
was  invited  by  some  of  the  Democratic  Republican  politicians  to 
start  a  paper  in  Boston  ;  and,  complying  with  the  request,  he  issued, 
on  6  Feb.,  1821,  the  first  number  of  the  Boston  Statesman,  a  weekly, 
still  in  existence.  At  that  time  there  was  a  triangular  contest  for 
the  presidency,  and  the  Statesman  advocated  the  election  of  W. 
H.  Crawford  ;  but  the  result  of  the  election — the  elevation  of  John 
Quincy  Adams  to  the  presidential  chair — and  the  great  and  in- 
creasing popularity  of  Gen.  Jackson,  made  it  apparent  to  the 
far-seeing  young  editor  that  the  succeeding  election  would  bring 
Gen.  Jackson  prominently  before  the  public.  Mr.  Greene  labored 
earnestly  to  bring  about  the  nomination  and  election  of  the  hero 
of  New  Orleans ;  and  the  triumph  of  the  party,  in  1828,  paved 
the  way  for  Mr.  Greene's  future  political  success. 

He  was  appointed  post-master  of  Boston  in  1829,  and  occupied 
that  official  position  until  the  accession  of  Gen.  Harrison  to  the 
presidency,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  George  Wm.  Gordon; 
and  although  this  was  one  of  the  first  public  removals  of  the  new 
administration,  yet  one  of  the  last  measures  of  President  Tyler 
was  to  reinstate  Mr.  Greene  in  the  same  office,  which  he  occupied 
until  after  the  election  of  Zachary  Taylor,  in  1849.  Mr.  Greene 
had  the  reputation  of  conducting  this  department  to  the  entire  ap- 
proval of  the  national  executive,  and,  by  his  urbane  and  concilia- 
tory deportment,  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  public  in  Boston. 

While  thus  absorbed  in  official  and  editorial  duties,  he  found 
time  to  acquire  the  French,  Italian,  and  German  languages.  The 
French  was   taken  up   without  much   difficulty,  as  was  also  the 


^^^ 


y^'C^yi^^, 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  387 

Italian ;  and  in  a  few  weelcs  he  was  able  to  read  tliem.  He  pub- 
lished, in  1836,  a  history  of  Italy,  translated  by  himself  from  the 
Italian ;  and  subsequently,  as  a  birth-day  present  to  his  niece, 
he  translated  Undine  from  the  German  into  the  Italian.  This 
work  Avas  read  by  Signor  Monte,  at  that  time  jjrofessor  of 
Italian  at  Harvard  college,  who  pronounced  it  admirably  done, 
and  requiring  very  little  alteration  to  be  ready  for  publication. 

In  1836,  at  the  suggestion  of  a  friend,  he  began  German, 
purchasing  a  dictionary,  a  grammar,  and  a  set  of  Van  der  Velde's 
works.  Taking  them  home,  he  sat  down  in  the  evening,  and  be- 
gan with  the  title-page.  The  first  word  was  "c^te,"  which,  on 
referring  to  the  dictionary,  he  found  to  be  the  definite  article 
"the."  He  wrote  down  the  word,  and  went  on  to  the  next,  which 
was  "iciecler  taufer.''''  He  turned  to  the  dictionary,  but  could 
not  find  it.  Hecollecting  that  many  words  in  German  are  com- 
pounds, he  looked  for  ^'wieder,^''  and  found  that  it  meant  ''again." 
Then  looking  for  "  tanfer,^^  he  found  that  it  meant  "  baptiser ; " 
and  said  to  himself  that  '^  loieder  taufer"  must  mean  the  re-bap- 
tiser,  or  Anabaptist.  This  was  the  title-page.  He  thus  began 
with  the  first  sentence  of  the  text,  and  before  retiring  to  rest 
completed  the  first  period  of  a  line  and  a  half. 

This  was  about  Christmas  time.  Every  evening  during  the 
Avinter  he  went  on  with  his  translation,  and  about  the  first  of  May 
following  published  the  results  of  his  labor  in  two  duodecimo  vol- 
umes, entitled  "  Tales  from  the  German."  He  translated  about 
fifty  volumes,  many  of  which  have  been  published.  Such  literary 
perseverance  has  few  parallels. 

Mr.  Greene  had  a  fine  poetic  fanc3\  Many  of  his  contributions 
have  been  given  to  the  public  over  the  signature  of  "  Boscawen," 
choosing  the  place  of  his  birth  as  his  nom  deplume.  His  stanzas 
entitled  "Petrarch  and  Laura,"  published  in  \\i&  Boston  Tran- 
script, are  marked  by  smoothness  of  rh}' thm  and  delicate  sen- 
timent : 

TETRARCII  AXD  LAURA. 

Oh!  deem  not  Petrarch  all  iinblest, 

In  that  he  Laura  never  knew; 
That  no  fond  word  liis  ear  caressed, 

In  fair  return  for  love  so  true ; 
That  no  response  he  ever  heard 

To  lays  in  which  his  love  was  told 
In  sweeter  strains  than  love's  own  bird 

In  grove  or  forest  ever  trolled. 


388  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

Though  Laura  might  disdain  to  liear 

Tlie  music  from  his  heart-strings  wrung, 
Tliose  strains  now  reach  the  listening  ear 

In  every  land  and  every  tongue. 
Though  made  the  subject  of  her  scorn, 

From  which  in  life  he  suffered  long, 
Thei-e's  many  a  maiden,  then  unborn, 

Who  since  hath  loved  him  for  his  song. 

Not  unrewarded  nor  unblest 

The  sorrows  he  in  song  deplored ; 
His  sonnets  oft  relieved  the  breast 

From  which  the  strains  divine  were  poured. 
They  won  for  him  undying  fame, 

Which  brightens  with  the  lapse  of  time, 
And  eternized  fair  Laura's  name. 

Embalmed  in  "choice  Italian"  rhyme. 

After  retiring  from  public  life,  Mr.  Greene  spent  a  long  period 
abroad,  travelling  through  Europe.  While  in  Paris,  in  1852,  he 
received  intelligence  of  the  death  of  a  beloved  daughter,  who  died 
at  Panama,  while  on  her  way  to  San  Francisco  to  establish  a 
Home  of  the  Sisters  of  Charit}',  to  which  order  she  had  liecome  at- 
tached. The  father's  heart,  wrung  with  grief,  found  expression 
in  the  appended  feeling  tribute  to  her  memory  : 

TO  MY  DAUGHTER  IX  HEAVEN. 

I  had  on  e.irth  but  only  thee ; 
Thy  love  was  all  the  world  to  me ; 
And  thou  hast  sought  the  silent  shore 
Where  I  had  thought  to  go  before ! 

Away  from  thee,  in  sad  exile, 
My  lips  had  long  unlearned  to  smile  ; 
Bright  wit  might  flash,  red  wine  might  pour, 
But  I,  alas !  could  smile  no  more ! 

Thy  death  in  these  my  fading  ye.ars, 
Hath  sealed  and  seared  the  fount  of  tears ; 
My  heart  may  bleed  at  every  pore, 
But  I,  alas !  can  weep  no  more ! 

Ah!  how  thy  loss  my  soul  doth  rend, 
My  only  daughter,  sister,  friend ! 
Of  thee  bereft,  all  joy  is  o'er. 
And  I,  on  earth,  can  hope  no  more. 

But  in  those  realms  beyond  the  sun. 
In  that  bright  heaven  thy  faith  hath  won, 
W^here  thou  and  kindred  spirits  reign. 
There  haply  shall  we  meet  again. 
Paris,  Sept,  20th,  1852. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY,  389 

Mr.  Greene  married  Miss  Susan,  daughter  of  Kev.  Wm.  Batch- 
elder,  of  Haverhill,  Mass.  His  son,  Wm.  B.  Greene,  was  edu- 
cated at  West  Point,  and  served  as  lieutenant  in  the  U.  S.  Army ; 
hut  resigning  his  commission  he  entered  the  ministry,  and  settled 
in  Brookfield,  Mass.  He  married  a  daughter  of  Rohert  G.  Shaw, 
Esq.,  of  Boston.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Eebellion  he  was 
living  abroad.  At  the  news  of  the  attack  upon  Fort  Sumter  he 
hastened  home,  and  offered  his  services  to  the  government.  He 
was  appointed  colonel  of  the  14th  Mass.  Volunteers,  which  he 
ably  drilled  as  a  heavy  artillery  regiment,  and  commanded  the 
line  of  fortifications  on  the  Potomac,  serving  with  distinction. 

Mr.  JSTathaniel  Greene  died  29  Nov.,  1877,  at  the  age  of  eighty 
years  and  live  months.  From  among  many  of  the  obituary 
notices  of  him  we  quote  the  following :  "  Another  of  Boston's 
old  and  distinguished  citizens  has  been  added  to  the  vanished 
throng.  Few  names  have  been  more  closely  identified  with  the 
life  and  interests  of  this  city  than  that  of  Nathaniel  Greene.  He 
was  eminently  a  successful  man.  He  handled  the  elements  that 
lay  before  him  with  judgment  and  with  vigor.  For  half  a  cen- 
tury his  career  was  one  of  great  activity,  and  it  yielded  results 
upon  which  he  might  well  pride  himself.  He  was  a  controlling 
spirit,  a  progressive  force,  in  those  circles  wherein  he  moved,  and 
his  name  will  be  remembered  as  long  as  the  events  of  the  Boston 
of  this  nineteenth  century  are  written  about  or  spoken  of." 

.  GREEXE,    CHARLES    GORDOX,    COL., 

The  youngest  son  of  Nathaniel  Greene,  Esq.,  Avas  born  in  Bos- 
caweu  July  1, 1804.  His  opportunities  for  obtaining  an  early  edu- 
cation were  as  limited  as  his  brother's.  In  1811  he  accompanied 
his  parents  to  Virginia.  In  the  succeeding  year,  his  father  hav- 
ing died,  his  mother,  bearing  a  double  burden  of  sorrow — her 
bereavement  and  an  embarrassed  estate — returned  to  New  Hamp- 
shire. Three  years  passed,  when  Nathaniel,  having  become  con- 
nected with  the  Haverliill  Gazette,  took  charge  of  his  younger 
brother,  and  placed  him  in  the  Bradford  academy.  His  preceptor 
was  the  famous  Benjamin  Greenleaf,  who  has  been  characterized 
by  Horace  IMann  as  "  a  huge  crystallization  of  mathematics."  In 
1817,  when  his  brother  established  the  Essex  Patriot,  Charles,  at 
the  age  of  thirteen,  began  to  learn  the  art  of  printing;  and  sub- 


390  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

sequently  he  served  one  year  in  the  office  of  Mr.  Lamson,  at  Exe- 
ter. In  1822  he  went  to  Boston  (to  which  city  his  brother  had 
removed  and  was  pnblisliing  the  Boston  /Statesman)  and  was  em- 
ployed in  this  establishment  until  1825,  when  lie  settled  at  Taun- 
ton, and  published  The  Free  Press  one  year,  upon  contract, 
and  upon  which  he  began  his  editorial  career,  at  the  early  age  of 
twenty-one. 

Upon  the  closing  of  his  contract  he  returned  to  Boston,  and 
published  The  Spectator,  a  literary  journal  edited  by  Charles  At- 
wood,  Esq.  But  the  Spectator,  after  a  brief  independent  exist- 
ence, was  united  with  another  publication,  and  Mr.  Greene  was 
again  engaged  upon  the  Statestnan,  but  only  for  a  short  time,  for 
in  1827  he  became  a  partner  with  James  A.  Jones,  of  Philadel- 
phia, in  the  puljlication  of  the  National  Palladium  of  that  city, 
the  first  daily  paper  published  in  Pennsylvania,  advocating  the 
election  of  Andrew  Jackson  to  the  presidency.  When  he  with- 
drew from  that  jiaper,  in  December,  1827,  the  United  States 
Gazette  remarked  of  him  that  he  was  "  an  able  champion  of  his 
party,  greatly  endeared  by  his  conciliatory  and  imoljtrusive  de- 
portment." The  warmth  of  his  zeal  in  favor  of  the  election  of 
Andrew  Jackson  to  the  presidency  is  evinced  in  this  glowing  and 
eloquent  passage  from  an  oration  delivered  4  July,  1831  :  "  His 
race  is  run  out.  Not  a  drop  of  his  blood  will  be  left  flowing  when 
he  is  gone ;  not  a  lip  to  sa}^,  '  I  glory  in  his  memory,  for  he  was 
my  kinsman.'  Is  it  not,  my  friends, — is  it  not  a  spectacle  to 
move  and  toucli  the  very  soul  ?  If  there  be  moral  sublimity  in 
anything,  it  is  in  unmingled  self-devotion  to  one's  country ;  and 
what  but  this  could  have  arrested,  on  the  very  threshold  of  the 
tomb,  the  feet  of  him  who,  though  he  turns  to  bless  his  country  at 
her  call,  sees  no  child  nor  relative  leaning  forward  to  catch  the 
mantle  of  his  glorj-." 

In  1828  Mr.  Greene  was  engaged  in  the  office  of  the  United 
States  Telegraph  at  Washington,  owned  and  conducted  by  Gen. 
Duff  Green,  where  he  remained  until  after  the  election  of  Gen. 
Jackson  to  the  presidency.  Keturning  to  Boston,  he  succeeded 
his  brother  Nathaniel  as  joint  proprietor  and  publisher  with 
Benjamin  True  of  the  Statesman.  The  latter's  interest  he  pur- 
chased in  a  few  years,  and  he  became  sole  owner ;  and  on  9  No- 
vember, 1831,  the  Boston  Morning  Post  made  its  appearance  from 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 


391 


the  office  of  the  /Statesman,  published  and  edited  by  Mr.  Greene. 
It  was  a  small  sheet  of  sixteen  columns,  but  quite  as  large  as  the 
times  warranted.  Mr.  Greene  labored  with  untiring  diligence  to 
make  the  paper  worthy  of  public  confidence.  His  editorials  were 
sharp  and  incisive,  but  at  the  same  time  there  was  a  geniality  and 
courtesy  which  won  the  respect  and  esteem  of  political  opponents. 
It  was  the  period  of  the  first  secession  manifestation,  when  Hayne 
and  Webster  were  the  gladiators  in  the  senate  of  the  United 
States.  The  Post  sustained  the  administration,  pronouncing 
against  the  new  doctrine  of  state  rights  as  set  forth  bj^  the 
South  Carolina  school  of  politicians.  It  soon  became  the  leading 
Democratic  journal  of  New  England.  It  was  an  authorit}^,  and 
its  voice  was  potent  in  the  party,  and  by  its  generous  spirit 
became  a  powerful  influence  over  young  men.  The  T'ost  was 
famous  for  its  effective  witticisms.  "  We  have  seen  the  puns  of 
this  daily  as  sensibly  affect  the  risibles  of  the  sedate  old  man  of 
eighty  as  they  do  the  merry  j^ouths  of  sixteen,"  says  Mr.  Loring, 
in  "  The  Hundred  Boston  Orators."  On  the  occurrence  of  its  for- 
tieth birth-day  the  colonel  thus  happily  spolce  of  it :  "  Forty  years 
ago  to-day  the  Boston  I*ost  shed  its  first  effulgence  upon  an  ad- 
miring world,  dispelling  the  darkness  thereof,  and  diffusing  joy 
among  all  people  of  the  American  species.  From  9  ISTovember, 
1851,  to  this  morning,  it  has  risen  with  the  sun  each  week  day, 
giving  light,  warmth,  and  comfort  to  all  ready  to  receive  its  bless- 
ings. It  is  not  for  us,  who  acted  as  accoucheur  at  its  birth,  to 
boast  of  the  promise  it  gave  at  its  first  breath,  or  of  its  sturdy 
youth,  or  of  the  power  and  activity  of  its  present  manhood.  All 
these  pleasant  little  matters  of  fact  will  be  freely  admitted  by 
generous  contemporaries,  with  whom  it  has  fought  and  shaken 
hands  hundreds  of  times ;  and  after  contests  of  two-score  years,  it 
can  truly  say  it  harbors  no  unkind  thought  towards  one  of  them." 
The  Democratic  party  in  the  state  and  in  Boston  was  in  the 
minority,  but  Col.  Greene  was  so  much  esteemed  by  men  of  all 
parties  that  he  was  elected  representative  to  the  Massachusetts 
legislature,  and  in  1848  was  an  aid  to  Gov.  Morton,  on  account  of 
which  position  he  received  his  title  of  "Colonel."  Upon  the  acces- 
sion of  President  Pierce,  Col.  Greene  was  appointed  naval  officer, 
which  position  he  held  for  eight  years.  Upon  his  retirement  it  was 
said  of  him  that  he  had  "  discharojed  the  duties  of  the  office  with 


3.92  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

admirable  efficienc}^  and  promptitude, — tlaougli  quietly,  unostenta- 
tiously, and  without  j)olitical  proscription."  His  i^olitical  associates 
often  selected  him  as  their  candidate  for  mayor  and  member  of  con- 
gress. He  was  frequently  mentioned  for  other  positions,  such  as 
postmaster-general,  minister  abroad,  &c.  Upon  the  breaking  out 
of  the  Eebellion,  he  took  the  side  of  the  loyal  states  with  all  his 
heart.  Though  the  editorial  pen  often  criticised  the  conduct  of  the 
Avar  and  the  methods  of  the  administration,  Col.  Greene  stood  un- 
flinchingl}'  for  the  union  of  the  states  and  the  crushing  out  of 
secession.  At  various  meetings  held  in  Boston,  in  1862,  to  take 
action  in  regard  to  the  call  of  the  President  for  troops,  Col.  Greene 
made  many  2)<itriotic  and  eloquent  speeches  in  favor  of  promptly 
responding  to  the  call,  and  exerted  himself  zealously  in  favor  of 
enlistments.  He  was  chairman  of  the  general  committee  which 
held  its  sessions  on  the  Common,  in  1862,  to  ^^romote  recruiting  : 
and  his  substantial  aid  to  wounded  soldiers  and  their  families,  un- 
ostentatiously administered,  brought  comfort  to  many  of  our  brave 
men.  The  following  extract  from  a  letter  written  by  Mr.  Greene  to 
a  New  York  committee,  in  1861,  inviting  him  to  be  present  at  a  so- 
cial meeting,  will  serve  to  show  his  sentiments  :  "The  rebellion  of 
the  Southern  states  was  totally  unjustifiable  ;  it  is  a  deep  sin,  which 
can  only  be  expiated  by  suffering  and  repentance  ;  but  the  disre- 
gard of  the  provisions  of  the  constitution,  by  those  placed  in  pow- 
er as  its  servants  and  its  guardians,  is  as  fatal  to  its  perpetuity  as 
the  enmity  of  its  armed  repv;diators.  In  such  an  alarming  com- 
plication of  political  affairs,  the  salvation  of  the  country  would 
seem  to  depend  upon  the  conduct  of  those  Avho  have  resolved  to 
resist  both  extremes, — enamel}',  those  men  whose  madness  has 
arrayed  them  in  rebellion  against  a  benign  government,  and  those 
Avhose  sordid  and  wicked  ambition  has  led  them  into  transgressions 
and  usurpations  hardly  surpassed  by  undisguised  treason."  And 
again,  at  a  banquet  given  in  honor  of  Capt.  Winslow,  of  the 
immortal  Kearsarge,  Col.  Greene,  in  response  to  a  call  from  the 
president,  said, — "  No  man,  no  class  of  men,  can  monojjolize  the 
starry  flag  of  the  Union :  it  is  the  nation's  banner,  the  emblem  of 
a  nation  of  freemen  ; — its  triumphs  are  national  glory.  It  is  meet, 
therefore,  that  Ave  express  our  thanks  in  gloAving  Avords  to  those 
who  beneath  its  folds  contribute  to  the  treasury  of  our  common 
honor.     In  the  present  festivities   may  we  forget  the  family  jars 


^"-^::s^ 


AcO-^n^je^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  393 

just  passed,  and,  like  a  band  of  brothers,  only  see  in  the  event  we 
now  celebrate,  new  lustre  and  iuci'eased  strength  given  to  our 
father's  house, — the  great  temple  of  liberty  erected  by  their 
valor,  cemented  with  their  blood,  and  preserved  by  the  bravery 
of  their  children.  Would  to  heaven,  sir,  that  the  echoes  of  the 
applause  we  now  offer  for  gallant  deeds  were  for  such  a  victory  as 
would  draw  cheering  responses  from  each  of  the  thirty-five  states 
of  this  great  country  ;  that  no  pang  should  agonize  one  American 
heart ;  that  the  blow  struck  was  like  unto  that  which  taught  a 
foreign  foe  '  the  might  that  slumbers  in  a  freeman's  arm.'  But, 
unhappily, — most  unhappily, — such  is  not  the  case.  The  present 
necessity  for  spreading  death  over  sea  and  land  is  an  aAvful,  a 
lamentable  one, — a  necessity  that  has  arrayed  in  terrible  combat 
one  portion  of  our  house  against  another  portion  ;  but,  like  the 
Eoman  father,  the  government,  while  it  administers  justice  with 
throbbing  heart  and  weeping  eyes,  cannot  withhold  chastisement. 
Its  integrity  must  be  vindicated,  its  authority  must  be  sustained, 
its  constitution  must  be  i^erpetuated,  and  the  union  of  the  states 
must  be  reestablished,  at  whatever  cost.  Therefore,  sir,  I  offer 
as  a  toast,  'The  JSTavy  and  Army  of  the  United  States.  May  the 
one  drive  piracy  from  the  water,  and  the  other  treason  from  the 
land.' " 

On  the  24th  of  October,  1827,  Col.  Greene  was  married  to  Miss 
Charlotte  E.,  daughter  of  Capt.  Samuel  Hill,  of  Boston,  a  lady  of 
fine  education  and  talents,  whose  prose  and  poetical  contributions 
have  often  adorned  the  columns  of  the  Post,  and  who,  in  the  ear- 
lier days  of  that  publication,  wrote  many  of  the  book  reviews, 
— thereby  saving  for  the  home  library  valuable  works  from  the 
desecrating  scissors  and  pencils  of  less  careful  reviewers.  Their 
family  consisted  of  six  children,  three  of  whom  now  survive,  all 
having  inherited  a  share  of  their  parents'  literary  ability.  Charles, 
the  eldest  son,  has  contributed  many  valuable  articles  to  Sears's 
Quarterly  lievieio,  besides  letters  and  shorter  articles  to  various 
periodicals  and  newspapers,  which  have  been  highly  commended 
by  those  competent  to  judge  of  such  matters.  Nathaniel,  the  sec- 
ond son,  ably  assisted  his  father  for  more  than  a  dozen  years  as 
managing  editor  of  the  Post,  and  during  an  extended  foreign  tour, 
under  the  nom  de jylume  of  "Flaneur,"  wrote  a  series  of  most 
amusing  and  instructive  letters  to  that  paper. 


89-i  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

Col.  Greene's  popularity  in  a  social  way  is  illustrated  Ity  the 
following  extract  from  the  Boston  Journal,  21  June,  1875  : 

"a  well  deservkd  compliment. 

"  The  parlors  of  the  Central  Club  on  Saturday  evening  last  were  the 
scene  of  a  little  incident  .so  agreeable  to  all  who  participated,  that  we 
may  be  pardoned  for  making  a  public  record  of  the  pleasant  occasion. 
Among  the  original  members  of  the  club,  Col.  Chas.  G.  Greene,  editor 
of  the  Boston  Po.si,  was  enrolled.  lie  accepted  the  position  of  vice- 
president  at  the  first  organization,  declining  of  late  years  to  hold  any 
office,  though  continuing  one  of  its  most  interested  members.  His 
genial  presence  and  fund  of  pleasant  reminiscences  contribute  so  fre- 
quently to  the  pleasure  of  a  chance  hour  passed  beneath  its  roof  that 
many  of  his  associates  desired  to  make  some  permanent  recognition  of 
their  regard.  An  excellent  photograph  of  Col.  Greene  was  reproduced 
in  crayon,  and  hung  upon  the  walls. 

"At  the  quarterly  meeting  held  on  Saturday  evening,  the  donors  pre- 
sented the  admirable  portrait  to  the  club.  The  president,  in  acknowl- 
edging the  receipt  of  the  communication,  alluded  in  pleasant  terms  to 
the  gratification  which  the  club  must  feel  in  receiving  a  gift  so  accepta- 
ble to  all,  and,  with  many  pleasant  allusions  to  the  past,  introduced  Col. 
Greene,  who  was  not  aware  of  the  delicate  compliment  which  had  be^en 
paid  to  him.  Tlis  remarks  we  cannot  reproduce,  but  this  testimonial 
of  regard  drew  from  him  a  speecli  replete  with  kindly  sentiment  most 
eloquently  expressed.  The  club  has  honored  itself  in  honoring  one 
whose  absence  in  every  social  circle  is  a  loss,  and  whose  presence  pro- 
motes good  fellowship  and  kindly  regard." 

Col.  Greene  is  esteemed  as  much  for  candor  as  for  affability. 
The  Honorable  David  Henshaw  said  of  him, — "He  is  the  self- 
made,  self-taught  man, — the  energetic  and  polished  writer ;  he 
shows  the  superiority  of  real  worth  over  fictitious  greatness.'"' 
"  His  name,"  said  a  contemporary,  "  is  a  sj^ionj'm  for  all  that  is 
deemed  estimable  in  a  private  citizen  or  politician ;  his  ability  is 
unquestioned ;  he  has  never  forgotten  the  dignity  of  his  profes- 
sion ;  has  always  known  where  he  stood,  always  manfully  main- 
tained what  he  believed  to  be  right,  and  never  smirched  his  fair 
fame  by  having  to  do  with  tricksters  and  jobbers.  No  editor  in 
the  country  stands  higher  as  a  gentleman  than  Charles  Gordon 
Greene." 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  395 

GREENOUGH,    JOHN. 

John  Greenougli,  Esq.,  eldest  son  of  Ebenezer  and  Mary 
(Elagg)  Greenough,  was  born  in  Haverliill,  Mass.,  5  April,  1780. 
His  father  moved  to  Canterl:)nr3'  in  1793,  and  commenced  trade 
there,  emplojdng  his  son  Jolm  as  clerk.  Two  j^ears  later,  at  the 
age  of  sixteen,  he  purchased  the  business,  and  carried  it  on  success- 
fully from  that  time.  Success  from  so  early  an  age  was  due  to 
his  ability,  promptness,  and  systematic  habits.  In  ISOo  he  mar- 
ried aSTanc}',  daughter  of  Hon.  Abiel  Foster,  of  Canterbury.  Their 
children  were  one  daughter  and  five  sons.  She  died  in  1819. 
In  1814  he  removed  to  Boscawen,  having  purchased  the  house 
and  store  previously  owned  and  occupied  by  Col.  Timothy  Dix. 
His  business  requiring  larger  accommodation,  in  1818  he  built 
the  brick  store  now  standing,  locating  it  a  short  distance  north  of 
his  residence.  In  this  store  he  continued  business  during  the  re- 
mainder of  his  life.  His  second  wife  was  Mary  Bridge,  daughter 
of  Samuel  Bridge,  Esq.,  of  Billerica,  Mass.  Their  children  were 
three  daughters  and  one  son.  In  early  life  he  connected  himself 
with  the  Congregational  church,  and  was  always  a  willing  and 
generous  supporter  of  benevolent  and  religious  institutions.  He 
was  ever  interested  in  education.  He  did  much  towards  building 
the  academy  on  the  Plain,  and  sustaining  it.  He  was  one  of  the 
original  trustees, — an  office  which  he  held  through  life, — and 
most  of  the  time  was  chairman  of  the  board.  His  public  spirit 
and  sound  judgment  made  him  j)rominent  in  town  affairs.  He 
held  the  office  of  justice  of  the  jjeace,  was  several  times  represent- 
ative in  the  legislature  of  his  state,  and  he  was  often  consulted  in 
legal  matters  and  called  upon  to  draw  up  legal  instruments.  He 
always  took  an  interest  in  everything  tending  to  advance  the 
prosperity  of  Boscawen,  and  was  ever  ready  to  help,  by  counsel 
or  pecuniary  aid,  those  who  were  trying  to  help  themselves.  He 
died  at  the  age  of  82  j^ears,  retaining  to  the  close  of  life  his  men- 
tal and  ph3^sical  faculties. 

JACKMAX,    CALEB, 

Was  born  5  July,  1794,  and  resided  in  Boscawen  until  1845, 
when  he  removed  to  Canterburj^,  and  in  1850  to  Concord.  He 
was  married  to  Martha  Burpee,  daughter  of  Kathaniel   Burpee, 


396  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

who,  after  being  a  most  faithful  and  devoted  wife  and  mother 
for  fifty-four  years,  was,  at  tlae  age  of  75,  called  to  her  rest. 
He  had  one  son  and  one  daughter, — Enoch  and  Emily.  He  was 
engaged  in  the  business  of  farming,  which  he  followed  with 
marked  activity  and  energy  to  an  advanced  age.  The  vigor  of 
his  constitution  was  not  impaired  by  the  use  of  tea,  coffee,  or  any 
other  warm  drink,  and  at  the  age  of  nearly  84  years  he  had  not 
been  confined  to  liis  room,  for  a  whole  day.  at  any  one  time  in  his 
life. 

His  bvotliers  were, — Moses,  David,  John,  and  Enoch ;  and  his 
sisters, — liuth,  Sarah,  and  Martha.  His  fatlier,  Moses  Jackman 
(taken  captive  by  the  Indians),  was  son  of  Richard  Jackman,  a 
first  proprietor,  from  Newbury,  and  married  Martha  Morse, 
daugliter  of  Moses  Morse,  also   a  first  proprietor,  from  Newbury. 

KILBUKX,    ELIPHALET,    DEA. 

He  was  born  in  Rowley.  In  1775,  on  the  19th  of  April,  he 
started  for  Lexington,  and  enlisted  for  eight  months  in  Capt. 
Jacob  Gerrish's  company,  which  was  quartered  at  Cambridge, 
Col.  Moses  Little's  regiment,  and  was  at  Charlestown  Neck  at 
the  time  of  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 

He  reenlisted  in  the  same  company  and  under  the  same  colonel 
in  1776;  was  stationed  at  Cambridge  when  the  British  evacuated 
Boston.  He  hired  a  man  to  take  his  place  in  the  ranks,  while  he 
went  home  to  Howley. 

He  enlisted  in  the  northern  army  the  same  year  for  six  months, 
in  Capt.  Wm.  Rogers's  company.  Col.  Wigglesworth's  regiment, 
Gen.  Bricket's  brigade,  and  proceeded  to  Ticonderoga. 

In  1777  he  enlisted  as  sergeant  in  Capt.  Benjamin  Adams's 
company,  Col.  Johnson's  regiment,  for  six  months.  He  was  at 
Mount  Independence,  opposite  Ticonderoga.  At  Saratoga  the 
regiment  was  placed  in  Boor's  brigade.  He  was  in  the  battle  of 
the  19th  of  August  and  9th  of  October,  and  at  the  surrender  of 
Burgoyne.  He  was  honorably  discharged  upon  the  expiration  of 
his  enlistment. 

In  1778  he  enlisted  for  six  months  as  sergeant  in  Capt.  Enos's 

companj'.  Col. 's  regiment,  and  was  under  Gens.  Sullivan 

and  Lafayette  at  Rhode  Island — a  liard  and  hazardous  campaign. 

In  1779   he   enlisted  for   four    months    as    sergeant    in    Capt. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  397 

Stephen  Jenkins's  company,  Col.  J.  Gerrish's  regiment,  a.nd 
marched  to  Greenbush,  iST.  Y.,  bnt  was  discliarged.  with  the  regi- 
ment after  about  two  months'  service.  His  entire  term  of  active 
service  was  about  thirty  mouths,  most  of  the  time  as  sergeant. 

KILBURX,    JR.,    ELIPHALET, 

Was  born  in  1804,  and  resided  through  life  upon  the  homestead, 
near  Bhickwater  river.  He  enjoyed  no  educational  privileges 
other  than  those  of  the  district  school,  but  ever  made  most  of  his 
opportunities  for  acquiring  information.  He  Avas  large-hearted, 
liberal  in  his  ideas,  and  enthusiastic  in  his  support  of  everything 
in  which  his  sympathies  were  enlisted.  He  was  foremost  in  ad- 
vocating temperance  and  anti-slavery  reforms,  and  was  ever  a 
friend  to  the  needy,  exemplifying  in  every  station  to  which  he 
was  called  those  virtues  which  go  to  make  up  the  earnest  Chris- 
tian, the  active  citizen,  and  the  honest  man. 

KILBURX,    EXOCH. 

Enoch  Kilburn  and  his  twin  sister  Hannah  were  born  in  1786, 
children  of  Dea.  Eliphalet  and  Mary  (Thorla)  Kilburn.  He  had 
few  advantages  for  obtaining  an  education.  He  married  (1) 
Elizabeth  Morse,  of  Boscawen,  (2)  Elizabeth  Cogswell,  of  Derry, 
and  settled  on  Battle  street,  in  a  house  which  was  torn  down 
in  1875.  Upon  the  removal  of  Henrj-  Little  to  Illinois  in  1835, 
lie  purchased  the  farm  then  owned  by  him,  now  owned  by  Capt. 
William  George  ;  from  thence  he  removed  to  Andover,  where  he 
resided  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

He  earl}^  engaged  in  the  business  of  drover,  purchasing  cattle 
and  sheep  in  the  vicinity,  eventually  extending  his  operations  to 
the  northern  section  of  the  state  and  to  Vermont,  selling  his 
flocks  and  herds  in  Brighton.  He  conducted  his  business  on 
an  extensive  scale,  and  became  familiarly  known  to  a  very  large 
number  of  people.  He  possessed  a  remarkable  memory,  and 
through  life  remembered  minute  transactions  that  had  taken 
place, — even  the  weight,  appearance,  color,  and  shape  of  oxen 
which  he  had  sold  years  previous.  This  faculty  of  memory 
enabled  him  to  keep  in  mind  from  month  to  month  the  cattle 
that  would  be  ready  for  market,  and  their  probable  weight  and 
condition. 


398  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

The  business  of  drover  was  not  what  the  raih-oad  now  makes  it, 
hut  was  a  tedious  journej"  of  two  weeks  from  Grafton  county  to 
Brighton.  Through  cold  and  lieat,  sunshine  and  storm,  lie  fol- 
lowed his  business.  No  "falling  market"  disturbed  him.  If  he 
met  with  loss  it  was  but  a  stimulant  to  induce  him  to  retrieve 
his  fortunes,  his  sanguine  temperament  ever  leading  him  on. 

He  was  an  earnest  supporter  of  religious  institutions,  a  member 
of  the  church,  and  earnest  and  zealous  in  his  advocacy  of  what  he 
believed  to  be  right.  He  was  genial,  kind,  benevolent,  and  hon- 
est, and  would  suffer  wrong  rather  than  do  wrong.  He  died  in 
1876.     [See  Gen.] 

KIMBALL,    PETER,    CAPT. 

Capt.  Peter  Kimball  moved  from  Bradford,  Mass.,  aboiit  1765, 
and  settled  on  Queen  street.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  character. 
Rev.  Mr.  Price  says  of  him, — "  Possessing  great  self-command,  a 
sound  judgment,  and  unwavering  integrity,  he  soon  came  into 
public  notice,  and  was  elected  selectman  in  1768,  in  which  office 
he  served  nine  years.  In  our  Revolutionary  struggle  he  mani- 
fested a  truly  patriotic  spirit,  readily  accepted  those  appointments 
with  others  which  involved  the  dearest  interests  of  individuals 
and  of  the  public.  He  contributed  to  the  security  of  our  inde- 
pendence, not  merely  by  his  assiduous  services  at  home,  but  en- 
dured the  privations  of  four  campaigns  in  defence  of  his  country. 
In  one  of  them  he  volunteered  as  a  private  soldier ;  but  in  the 
other  three  he  bore  a  captain's  commission,  and  at  Bennington 
received  a  wound  at  the  head  of  his  company — a  precious  memen- 
to of  that  signal  battle.  Caj)t.  Kimball  Avas  a  valuable  citizen,  a 
much  esteemed  neighbor,  and  consistent  man." 

The  diary  kept  by  Capt.  Kimball  in  the  campaign  of  1776,  and 
at  Bennington,  is  given  in  the  body  of  this  volume,  in  connection 
with  the  events  of  the  Revolution,  from  which  it  will  be  seen  that 
he  was  a  prompt,  efficient,  and  brave  soldier.  He  barely  men- 
tions that  he  was  wounded  in  the  battle  of  Bennington, — leaving 
it  to  others  to  speak  of  his  bravery. 

He  moved  from  Queen  to  Water  street  after  the  Revolution, 
and  continued  till  his  death,  at  the  age  of  72,  a  useful  and  hon- 
ored citizen.  It  may  be  said  that  Capt.  Peter  Kimball  and  Col. 
IJenry  Gerrish  were  leading  spirits  in  the  town  during  the  Revo- 


.^ish- 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  399 

lutionary  period.  Both  were  military  officers ;  and  the  prompt- 
ness Avith  which  tliey  ordered  out  their  commands  when  called 
upon,  attests  their  efficiency. 

KIMBALL,    BENJAMIN    T. 

The  youngest  son  of  Capt.  Peter  Kimball, — Benjamin  Thurston 
Kimball, — was  born  in  Boscawen,  4  May,  1784.  He  had  no  op- 
portunity for  education  except  the  meagre  instruction  of  the  dis- 
trict school.  He  resided  on  the  homestead  where  he  was  born, 
and  built  the  house  now  occupied  hy  Mr.  Wade.  He  was  an  in- 
fluential citizen,  and  a  member  of  the  Congregational  church  and 
society.  He  was  an  early  advocate  of  anti-slavery,  and  cast  his 
influence  and  his  vote  in  its  behalf.  He  longed  for  the  day  when 
the  slave  would  be  a  freeman, — a  consummation  he  was  not  per- 
mitted to  see.  He  died  9  July,  1852.  He  was  hospitable,  kind 
to  the  poor,  and  charitable  to  those  who  differed  from  him  in 
opinion.     [See  Gen.] 

KIMBALL,    DAVID    F.,    COL., 

Oldest  son  of  Benjamin  T.  Kimball,  was  born  in  Boscawen,  24 
Dec,  1811,  at  the  old  homestead,  and  lived  there  until  1845.  He 
was  married  in  1837  to  Mary  P.  Kilburn,  daughter  of  Enoch 
Kilburn,  of  Boscawen.  [See  Gen.]  At  the  age  of  19  he  was 
appointed  ensign  in  the  first  company  of  light  infantry,  when  the 
New  Hamjishire  militia  was  in  its  glory.  The  next  year  he  was 
ranked  to  captain,  commanding  the  company  for  three  years. 
Prom  captain  he  was  ranked  to  the  colonelcy  of  the  21st  Kegi- 
ment,  which  he  commanded  for  four  years,  then  was  honorably 
discharged. 

In  1846  he  moved  to  Salisbury,  K  H.,  and  engaged  in  the  tan- 
ning business,  which  he  carried  on  successfully  for  ten  years ; 
moved  to  Beloit,  Wis.,  in  the  spring  of  1856 ;  Avas  in  the  grain 
trade  for  nearly  three  years  ;  then  moved  to  Chicago,  111.,  where 
Mrs.  Kimball  died.  He  married  again,  in  1859,  Mrs.  Emily  P. 
Burke,  daughter  of  Dea.  George  T.  Pillsbury,  of  Boscawen.  He 
remained  in  Chicago  in  the  grain  and  commission  business  eight 
years. 

During  the  war,  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Kimball,  with  seventy  others, 
went  to  the  army  after  the  battle  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  to  care 


400  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

for  the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers.  He  there  contracted  the  dis- 
ease of  the  army,  and  after  struggling  with  poor  health  for  sev- 
eral years,  returned  east  and  settled  in  Concord,  N.  H.  ;  resided 
there  for  five  years,  engaging  in  the  same  business  as  at  Chicago. 
In  1871  he  moved  to  Fisherville,  N.  H.,  where  he  now  resides. 

KIMBALL,    PETER, 

Was  horn  25  May,  1817,  in  Boscawen,  son  of  Benjamin  and  Mary 
(Kilhurn)  Kimball.  He  remained  at  home  till  his  majority,  then 
entered  the  store  of  Greenleaf  &  Co.,  Salisbury.  It  was  before 
the  construction  of  the  Northern  Eailroad,  when  the  Fourth  Kew 
Hampshire  Turnpike  was  a  great  thoroughfare,  and  Salisbury  a 
centre  of  trade.  After  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  mercantile  busi- 
ness, he  married  Miss  Xancy  A.  Adams,  daughter  of  Cyrus  Adams, 
of  Grafton,  and  removed  thither,  where  he  has  since  resided,  giv- 
ing his  attention  to  agriculture.  He  takes  great  interest  and 
pride  in  his  calling,  is  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  of  the  state, 
and  active  in  promoting  the  state  and  county  agricultural  socie- 
ties. 

KIMBALL,  JOHK,  HON., 

Son  of  Benjamin,  born  in  Canterburj^,  13  April,  1821,  moved  to  Bos- 
cawen with  his  parents  in  the  spring  of  1824.  His  education  was 
such  as  the  town  school  afforded,  and  one  year  (1837)  at  the  acad- 
emy in  Concord.  Next  jeav  he  was  apprenticed  with  his  father's 
cousin,  "William  M.,  serving  four  years,  constructing  mills  and 
machinery.  His  first  work  after  attaining  his  majority  was  to  re- 
build the  grist  and  flouring  mills,  in  the  valley  near  the  north 
end  of  tlie  Plain,  in  1842,  which  are  still  in  use.  Afterwards  he 
followed  the  same  business  in  Suncook  and  Manchester,  and  in 
Lowell  and  Lawrence,  Mass.  In  September,  1848,  he  was  em- 
ployed b}^  the  directors  of  the  Concord  Railroad  to  take  charge  of 
the  new  machine  and  car  shops  then  building  at  Concord  ;  pro- 
moted to  master  mechanic,  1850.  He  retained  this  position  ten 
years,  at  which  time  circumstances  rendered  it  desirable  for  him 
to  relinquish  mechanical  labor  for  other  pursuits. 

As  a  mechanic  Mr.  Kimball  has  few  superiors ;  and  his  sound 
judgment  and  skill  were  in  constant  requisition  in  the  res])onsible 
position  held  for  so  many  years  at  the  Railroad  shops  in  Concord. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  401 

The  experience  and  training  of  those  early  days  have  also  been  of 
unquestionable  value  to  the  city  and  state ;  for  the  knowledge 
then  acquired  has  contributed,  not  unfrequently,  to  the  solution  of 
the  knotty  mechanical  and  scientific  questions  which  have  con- 
stantly arisen  in  connection  with  the  state  and  municipal  offices 
he  has  been  called  upon  to  fill. 

He  was  elected  to  the  common  council  from  Ward  5,  in  Con- 
cord, in  1856,  '57 — was  president  the  last  year;  member  of  the 
legislature  from  the  same  ward  1858,  '59,  and  chairman  of  Com- 
mittee on  State  Prison ;  collector  of  taxes,  and  city  marshal,  1859, 
60,  '61,  '62 ;  appointed  by  President  Lincoln,  in  1862,  collector  of 
internal  revenue  for  the  second  district  of  Xew  Hampshire,  includ- 
ing tiie  counties  of  Merrimack  and  Hillsborough,  an  office  he  held 
seven  j-ears,  during  which  time  he  collected  and  paid  over  to  the 
treasurer  of  the  United  States  nearly  seven  millions  of  dollars ; 
elected  moderator  of  "Ward  5,  1861,  '^nd  reelected  ten  successive 
years.  On  the  organization  of  the  Merrimack  County  Savings 
Bank,  in  1870,  he  was  elected  its  treasurer,  an  office  he  now  holds. 
He  was  elected  mayor  in  1872,  '73,  '74,  '75  ;  during  the  time  was 
one  of  tlie  water  commissioners  to  supply  the  city  with  water — 
president  of  the  board,  in  1875  ;  appointed  in  1877  for  three 
years.  He  was  member  of  the  constitutional  convention  of  1876, 
and  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Finance.  In  August,  1877, 
was  appointed  by  Gov.  Prescott  one  of  the  commissioners  to  build 
a  new  state  prison.  At  the  first  meeting  of  the  commissioners,  he 
was  unanimously  chosen  chairman,  and  is  now  engaged  with  the 
architects  in  making  preparation  for  prosecuting  the  work  during 
1878. 

Mr.  Kimball  possesses  rare  business  and  financial  ability,  and 
his  integrity  is  as  firm  as  the  everlasting  hills  of  his  native  state. 
In  his  management  of  public  affairs  he  has  ever  displayed  en- 
larged and  progressive  views,  sound  judgment,  and  conscientious 
motives  ;  and  in  private  life  he  is  a  devoted  friend,  kind  neighbor, 
esteemed  citizen,  and  a  charitable,  tolerant,  self-reliant,  manly 
man,  who  alike  honors  his  native  town  and  the  city  of  his  adop- 
tion. 

KIMBALL,    BENJAMIN    AMES, 

Youngest  child  of  Benjamin  and  Euth  (Ames)  Kimball,  was  born 
in  Boscawen  (Fisherville)  22  Aug.,  1833  ;  learned  the  trade  of 
26 


402  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

machinist  of  his  brother  John.  After  siiitable  preparation  at  Prof. 
Hildreth's  academy  in  Derrj,  he  entered  the  Chandler  Scientific 
Department  of  Dartmouth  college  in  1851,  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated in  18o4  ;  immediately  entered  the  Concord  Eailroad  machine 
shop  as  draftsman  and  machinist ;  after  two  years  was  made  fore- 
man of  the  locomotive  department ;  1  Jan.,  1858,  succeeded  his 
brother  as  master  mechanic,  where  he  labored  successfully  until 
1  April,  1865,  when  he  resigned  to  become  a  member  of  the  firm 
of  Ford  &  Kimball,  manufacturers  of  car  wheels  and  brass  and 
iron  castings. 

Mr.  Kimball  is  not  inclined  to  seek  political  positions,  but  has 
filled  several  offices  to  the  general  satisfaction  of  his  constituents. 
He  was  member  of  the  legislature  in  1870,  but,  owing  to  Irasiness 
considerations,  declined  a  reelection  in  1871.  He  was  appointed 
one  of  the  water  commissioners  at  the  organization  of  the  board 
in  1872,  and  is  now  serving  "the  sixth  year,  and  is  its  president.. 
The  complete  success  of  this  undertaldng  is  no  doubt  largely  due 
to  his  untiring  and  persistent  labor,  his  ripe  mechanical  judgment, 
and  his  superior  executive  ability.  He  was  returned  as  one  of 
the  members  of  the  constitutional  convention  of  1876,  from  the 
sixth  ward. 

After  the  financial  embarrassment  of  the  "  National"  (now  Con- 
cord) Savings  Bank,  he  was  named  as  one  of  the  new  trustees,  and 
15  Oct.,  1874,  was  elected  its  president.  This  position  he  resigned 
in  1877,  and  now  (1878)  is  travelling  with  his  family  in  Europe. 

LITTLE,    EXOCH, 

Was  bom  in  Newbury,  21  May,  1728,  son  of  Tristram  Little  and 
Sarah  (Dole)  Little.  He  married  Sarah  Pettingill,  of  Newburj-, 
19  Feb.,  1755,  who  died  10  March,  1758,  the  mothei-  of  two  chil- 
dren,— Friend  and  Mary.  He  married  for  his  second  wife  Han- 
nah Hove}',  of  Newbury,  5  June,  1759.  He  was  a  weaver,  and 
also  learned  to  make  shoes.  He  moved  from  Hampstead  to  Bos- 
cawen,  April,  1774,  a  poor  man  with  a  large  family.  He  passed 
the  year  in  a  house  on  the  Hale  Atkinson  farm.  Fish  street, 
carrying  on  land  on  High  street,  near  Salisbury  line ;  also 
building  a  log  house — his  future  home — on  land  now  owned 
by  his  great-grandson,  Sherman  Little.  He  moved  to  his  new 
home  on  the  2d  of  September,  1774.     His  house  had  no  floor. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  403 

The  fireplace,  in  all  probability,  was  made  of  svicli  stones  as  he 
could  conveniently  obtain.  The  wliole  surrounding  region  was 
a  dense  forest.  Two  other  houses  only  had  been  erected  west 
of  Blackwater, — the  "  Day "  house,  on  land  owned  now  by 
Henry  L.  Dodge,  and  the  "  Cass  "  house,  on  the  farm  occupied  by 
Mr.  David  Sweatt,  near  Long  pond.  Mr.  Corser  was  living  on 
Corser  hill.  Capt.  Peter  Coffin's,  and  perhaps  one  or  two  t)ther 
houses,  had  been  erected  on  Water  street.  With  neighl)ors  so  far 
away,  in  an  unbroken  forest,  Mr.  Little  reared  his  humble  home. 
Eev.  Mr.  Price,  in  a  biographical  notice,  says  that  "  he  became  a 
Christian  at  tlie  age  of  eleven,  and,  like  Enoch  of  old,  '  walked 
with  God '  seventy-seven  years,  sixty-four  of  which  he  was  a  dis- 
ciple of  Christ  by  a  Christian  profession.  He  sought  retirement, 
particularly  in  his  advanced  age,  for  what  was  most  congenial 
with  the  habits  of  his  mind,  giving  himself  to  the  reading  of 
the  scriptures  and  prayer."  He  was  the  ancestor  of  numerous 
descendants,  many  of  whom  have  entered  the  ministry.  He  died 
21  Oct.,  1816. 

LITTLE,    ENOCH,    DEA., 

The  second  of  the  name  in  Boscawen,  was  the  son  of  Enoch  Little 
and  Hannah  (Hovey)  Little.  The  incidents  of  his  life  are  learned 
in  part  from  an  autobiographical  sketch  found  among  his  papers. 

"Enoch  Little,  born  Jan.  17,  1763,  in  Newbury,  Mass. 

"  1706.  Moved  to  Ilampstead  at  3  years  and  3  months  old — lived 
there  s  years. 

"  1774.     April,  moved  to  Boscawen  at  11  years  and  3  months  old. 

"  1785.     At  the  age  of  22  took  my  land  wild  and  began  to  clear. 

"  1786.     Went  to  school  at  Atkinson. 

"  1787.  Kept  school  on  Corser  hill  in  winter,  and  worked  on  my  land 
in  summer. 

''  1787.     Built  my  first  barn. 

"  1788.  Kept  school  on  Corser  Hill.  Hired  Oliver  Clement  7  months 
this  summer  for  42  dollars.  Cleared  6  acres  on  the  liill,  and  by  tlie  low- 
est side  of  the  new  barn  field. 

"  Kept  school  in  Jo's  house  this  winter,  and  carried  on  my  farm  alone 
this  summer,  and  in  the  fall  began  to  cut  timber  for  my  house. 

"  1790.  Prepared  boards  and  shingles,  bricks  &c.,  for  my  house  this 
winter.  Raised  my  house  in  June,  made  my  cellar,  covered  my  house, 
built  my  chimneys  this  fall,  and  married  the  last  day  of  Nov. 

"Moved  into  ray  house  Feb.  22,  1791." 


404  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

Mr.  Little  early  in  life  identified  himseK  with  the  cause  of  re- 
ligion, became  a  prominent  member  of  the  church,  and  was  elected 
deacon  to  succeed  Dea.  Benjamin  Sweatt. 

He  kept  a  day-book  for  many  years.  Although  his  entries  are 
brief,  and  almost  phonographic,  yet  they  are  so  terse  that  from 
them  we  get,  now  and  then,  a  complete  picture  of  the  times.  He 
was  a  natural  poet,  and  many  of  his  notes  are  in  rhyme. 

"  Sat.  9  May,  1807. 

"  The  ground  is  chiefly  dressed  in  green, 
But  still  some  banks  of  snow  are  seen. 

"1810,  Tues.  July  31. 

"  My  corn  is  yet  exceeding  low, 
Although  it  now  begins  to  grow; 
The  field  I  travelled  wholly  through 
To  find  one  spindle  in  the  blow. 

"1812,  Jan.  21. 

"  The  Northern  blast  for  three  full  weeks 
Has  reign 'd  triumphant  thro'  the  land  ; 
The  frost  each  narrow  crevice  seeks, 

The  brooks  in  iron  fetters  chained  ; 
Propitious  Heaven!  in  mercy  speak, 
And  bid  the  Southern  breezes  wake." 

The  next  day  we  find  an  entry  in  rhyme  indicating  that  the 
weather  has  grown  milder. 

"  1812,  Jan.  Sat.  25. 

"Now  Sol,  propitious,  condescends  to  pay 
A  longer  visit  each  succeeding  day  ; 
And  as  he  runs  his  journey  from  the  east, 
Comfort  administers  to  man  &  beast." 
In  1813,  in  the  month  of  December,  occurred  an  exceedingly 
disastrous  fire  at   Portsmouth,  the  light  of  which  was  seen  in 
Boscawen.     His  book  contains  these  notes  : 

"  1813,  Dec.  25.  Cold  and  windy.  Went  to  Salisbury.  Paid  $5.00 
to  those  who  sufi'ered  by  fire. 

"  The  fire  seen  last  Wednesday  night, 

AVhich  burned  so  long  and  shone  so  bright, 
In  Portsmouth  dreadful  havoc  made, 
And  wide  its  desolations  spread; 
Above  an  hundred  dwelling-houses  burned, 
Above  1000  people  out  of  doors  are  turned." 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  405 

Mr.  Little  delighted  in  abbreviating  words.  He  was  naturally 
a  ijbonographer,  and  almost  invariably  wrote  "  taters  "  instead  of 
potatoes,  and  "  lasses  "  for  molasses. 

"  Oct.  8, 18U. 

''  The  tater  tops  are  green  as  yet, 
But  very  soon  they  must  be  bit. 
"  1815,  Ap.  22. 

"  Our  sheep  have  left  the  barn  to-day, 
Took  up  with  grass  and  left  the  hay. 
I've  turned  them  out  for  good  &  all, 
And  fondly  hope  they'll  stay  till  fall." 

On  his  fifty-third  birth-day,  in  four  lines  he  throws  a  glance 
backward  over  the  buried  years  and  onward  to  the  close  of  life. 
A  pathetic  minor  chord  runs  through  the  stanza : 

"  1816,  Jan.  17.     53  years  old  to-day. 

"  My  years  are  swiftly  rolling  on 
And  most  of  them  are  past  : 
Some  one  must  end  this  mortal  life, 
And  this  may  be  my  last." 

In  April  the  "notes"  are  ludicrous.  During  the  month  a 
woman  partially  insane  suddenly  disappeared  from  one  of  the 
neighbors'  houses,  and  the  neighborhood  joined  in  searching  for 
her.     Hence  the  allusion  : 

"  April  11.     Strayed  from  Mr.  Stickney's  a  large  girl  16  hands  high. 
"  April  12.     Snowy  day.     Hunted  for  Sal  Stickney." 

The  winter  of  1819  was  an  open  one.  These  are  some  of  the 
notes  : 

"  Dec.  20. 

"  My  hogs  are  fat  and  fit  to  go. 
But  yet  the  price  is  very  low. 
I  wait  awhile  for  better  times, 
And  spend  ray  time  in  making  rhymes. 

"  Feb.  10. 

"  No  sleighs  have  gone  to  market  this  year. 
"  Stock  is  high  and  hay  is  low; 

The  ground  is  wholly  void  of  snow." 


406  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

The  following  prayer  is  remarkable  for  comprehensiveness  and 
felicitous  expression.  Dea.  Little  often  repeated  it,  and  taught  it 
to  his  children  and  grandchildren. 

"AN  EVK^•ING  prayp:r, 

"  Lord,  thou  hast  kept  me  through  the  day, 
For  which  to  Tliee  my  thanks  I  pay  ; 
O  keep  me  safely  through  the  night, 
And  bring  me  to  the  morning  light. 
Forgive  my  sins,  renew  my  heart, 
Wisdom  and  grace  to  me  impart; 
Grant  me  an  interest  in  thy  love, 
And  raise  my  thoughts  to  Thee  above." 

His  opportunities  for  obtaining  an  education  were  exceedingly 
limited.  It  is  probable  that  during  the  eight  years  he  lived  at 
Hampstead  he  learned  to  read,  but  he  left  there  at  the  age  of  11. 
The  next  year,  1774,  was  taken  up  with  the  removal  of  the  fam- 
ily to  Boscawen,  to  the  house  on  Fish  street,  and  in  getting  the 
log  cabin  started  on  Little  hill,  and  a  patch  of  ground  cleared. 
His  father  and  his  older  brothers  went  up  from  Fish  street  at  the 
beginning  of  the  week  chopping  trees,  and  stayed  till  Saturday. 
Enoch,  then  12  years  old,  and  one  of  his  brothers,  had  to  keep 
them  supplied  with  provisions.  The  house  of  Capt.  Peter  Coffin 
on  Water  street  was  the  half-way  place,  where  they  rested,  and 
ate  a  bowl  of  bread  and  milk  which  Mrs.  Coffin  gave  them.  Mr. 
Coffin  had  been  several  yeai-s  in  town, — had  quite  a  patch  of 
ground  cleared,  raised  corn  and  rye,  and  was  getting  on  in  the 
world. 

In  the  fall  of  1775  his  father  moved  into  his  log  cabin,  and  dur- 
ing the  long  winter  evenings  Enoch  employed  his  time  in  learning 
to  wi'ite,  by  lying  on  the  split  floor  before  the  pitch  knot  fire, 
with  strips  of  birch  bark  for  paper  and  a  charred  stick  for  a  pen. 

The  family  was  very  poor.  There  were  many  mouths  to  feed. 
Nothing  had  been  raised.  Corn  was  scarce  and  high,  but  there 
was  one  man  to  whom  they  could  look  for  help, — Capt.  Peter  Cof- 
fin, who  never  took  advantage  of  his  opportunity,  but  who  supplied 
them  with  corn  at  the  regular  pi-ice,  on  ci-edit.  There  were  so, 
many  to  be  provided  for,  that  in  midwinter  some  of  the  children 
were  obliged  to  go  with  bare  feet.     Enoch  often  was  obliged  to 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  407 

wrap  Ills  feet  in  swingling  tow,  and  stand  on  a  cliip  while  cutting 
down  trees  in  midwinter. 

He  w^ent  to  Atkinson  academy  one  term  in  1786,  when  he  was 
23  years  of  age.  There  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  a  pleasant 
girl,  Polly  ISToyes,  15  years  of  age,  whom  he  asked  to  be  his  wife, 
and  wlio  accepted  the  offer, — agreeing  to  wait  till  he  could  get 
started  a  little  in  life.  Her  parents  were  prudent  people,  and  the 
father  was  not  quite  sure  whether  or  not  the  young  man  from  the 
backwoods  would  succeed  in  getting  a  living ;  and  so,  when  he 
went  down  to  claim  his  bride,  in  1790,  the  father  informed  him 
that  the  kettle,  frying-pan,  feather-bed,  and  quilts,  which  made 
up  the  daughter's  outfit,  were  loaned  to  him.  The  young  husband, 
flashing  up,  proposed  not  to  take  them.  He  would  sleep  on  the 
floor,  and  cook  his  porridge  as  best  he  could.  The  pluck  displayed 
pleased  the  father-in-law,  and  in  November,  1790,  with  his  bride 
seated  on  a  pillion  behind  him,  and  all  her  outfit  packed  on  a  led 
horse,  he  rode  from  Atkinson  to  Little  hill,  and  began  married 
life  on  the  farm  now  occupied  by  Dea.  Francis  B.  Sawyer. 

Before  his  marriage,  as  learned  from  his  autobiography,  he 
taught  school  on  Corser  hill,  in  the  south-west  corner  room  of  the 
house  occupied  by  Eev.  Mr.  Price,  and  later  by  S.  B.  Little,  Esq., 
and  then  owned  by  Samuel  Corser.  The  seats  were  of  plank, 
without  any  backs.  There  were  no  desks.  The  only  window  was 
half  a  sash  of  six  lights.  He  taught  reading,  spelling,  and  arith- 
metic. The  school  district  embraced  the  whole  of  what  is  now 
the  town  of  Webster.  There  were  about  forty  boys,  and  a  few 
girls.  jMany  of  the  lioys  were  from  eighteen  to  twenty-four  years 
of  age,  and  it  required  tact,  diplomacy,  and  dignity  to  preserve 
order  ;  but  the  young  man  was  equal  to  the  occasion,  and  proved 
himself  a  competent  master. 

He  was  the  first  teacher  of  music  in  the  town.  His  first  school 
was  taught  in  the  house  now  owned  by  Henry  L.  Dodge.  Mr. 
Little  was  at  that  time  tending  the  saw-mill  near  by.  He  studied 
his  arithmetic  while  the  saw  was  going  through  a  log,  and  in  the 
evening  taught  music  gratuitously  one  term,  but  charged  a  shill- 
ing— seventeen  cents — an  evening  the  second  term. 

In  regard  to  his  knowledge  of  music,  he  said, — "  I  knew  but  lit- 
tle about  music,  but  I  guess  I  knew  more  at  that  time  than  any 
other  man  in  town." 


408  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

The  rules  were  in  rhyme — some  of  his  own  making.  He  liad 
the  idea  that  triple  time  M'as  suited  to  pensive  music. 

He  was  a  man  of  remarkable  vigor,  physically  and  mentally, 
lived  in  advance  of  his  age,  took  long  looks  ahead,  predicting 
great  things  in  the  future, — of  the  advancement  of  society  in 
knowledge,  and  in  the  a^jplication  of  science  to  practical  life.  He 
ever  kept  pace  with  the  times,  and  was  the  first  to  produce  mer- 
ino wool  in  the  town,  if  not  in  the  county. 

He  was  long  an  officer  of  the  church,  and  was  decided  in  his 
own  convictions,  hut  tolerant  of  the  opinions  of  others.  His  later 
years  were  devoted  to  the  study  of  the  Bible,  in  which  he  took 
great  delight.  He  was  kind,  genial,  witty,  a  natural  poet,  a  good 
citizen,  an  earnest  Christian,  and  an  honor  to  his  age  and  genera- 
tion. 

LITTLE,  2D,  ENOCH,  DEA., 

Son  of  Enoch,  deacon,  the  third  of  the  name,  resided  on  Little 
hill.  He  was  horn  in  1804,  and  acquired  an  academic  education 
at  Pembroke,  under  the  tuition  of  Rev.  Amos  Burnham.  He 
taught  school  in  Boscawen  and  other  towns,  and  settled  on 
the  homestead  with  his  father.  He  gave  attention  to  music,  and 
for  a  long  period  was  leader  of  the  choir  connected  with  the 
Webster  Congregational  church  ;  taught  singing-school  in  Web- 
ster and  Salisbury  ;  had  a  high  sense  of  the  value  of  sacred 
music  as  a  means  of  public  worshiji,  and  sung,  not  for  the  enjoy- 
ment that  came  from  singing  merely,  but  as  an  act  of  devotion 
and  a  religious  duty. 

He  was  a  man  of  strong  convictions,  a  diligent  student  of 
the  Bible,  a  constant  attendant  upon  church  services,  and  for 
about  thirty  years  an  officer  of  the  church  ;  also  one  of  the 
first  to  engage  in  Sunday-school  work,  beginning  as  a  teacher 
when  but  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  remaining  to  the  close  of 
life  a  constant  attendant. 

He  was  a  prominent  member  of  the  Martin  Luther  Musical 
Society,  a  town  organization,  and  also  of  the  Central  Musical  So- 
ciety, which  flourished  from  1820  to  1830  ;  also  a  member  of  the 
Boston  Academy  of  Music.  He  never  sought  public  life,  but  rep- 
resented the  town  one  year.  He  was  an  active  member  and  pres- 
ident of  the  Merrimack  County  Agricultural   Society,  and  took 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  409 

great  interest  in  tlie   advancement  of  agriculture  and  sheep  lius- 
bandry. 

He  was  ever  ready  to  give  to  charitable  and  benevolent  objects, 
and  was  a  strong  pillar  in  the  Webster  Congregational  church. 
He  had  a  vigorous  mind,  and  was  tenacious  of  his  own  convictions 
of  duty  and  obligation.  He  died  in  the  full  hope  of  Christian  im- 
mortality, honored  and  respected  by  all,  October,  1875. 

LITTLE,    SIMEON    B. 

Simeon  Bartlett  Little,  son  of  Benjamin  Little,  Esq.,  was  born 
in  Boscawen,  16  Dec,  1797.  His  education  was  acquired  at  the 
common  school.  In  early  life  he  was  a  news-carrier.  The  postal 
facilities  were  of  little  account,  especially  for  news})apei-s,  and  he 
supplied  the  people  of  Hopkinton,  Boscawen,  Salisbur}^,  and  An- 
dover  with  the  Concord  Gazette,  printed  by  George  Hough. 
Starting  from  home  early  on  the  morning  of  its  publication,  he 
rode  to  Concord  on  horseback,  filled  his.  saddle-bags  with  papers, 
then  riding  through  Hopkinton,  reached  home  at  night,  and  on 
the  second  day  made  the  round  of  Salisbury  and  Andover.  In 
cold  or  stormy  weather,  three  da^'s  were  given  to  the  distribution. 
Besides  carrying  papers  he  executed  errands.  By  this  means  he 
acquii'ed  his  first  money. 

In  all  communities  there  are  men  who  come  into  active  life 
without  effort  of  their  own, — wlio  are  recognized  as  possessing 
qualifications  for  leadership.  Simeon  B.  Little  was  such  a  man. 
He  was  selectman  ten  j^ears,  two  years  a  member  of  the  legisla- 
ture, and  a  delegate  to  the  convention  for  the  revision  of  the  con- 
stitution. Between  the  years  1839  and  1858  inclusive,  with  but 
two  exceptions,  he  was  elected  moderator  at  the  annual  town- 
meeting.  He  was  endowed  with  a  judicial  mind,  and  held  through 
the  active  years  of  life  a  magistrate's  commission.  He  was  ad- 
ministrator of  between  thirty  and  forty  estates,  and  was  con- 
cerned in  the  settlement  of  nearly  as  many  more.  He  received 
nearly  twenty  appointments  as  guardian  for  minors  or  insane 
persons,  and  held  a  large  amount  of  funds  in  trust. 

His  business  as  a  conveyancer  of  deeds  was  very  large, — nearly 
one  thousand.  Men  who  wished  to  make  their  last  wills  and 
testaments  called  upon  him  for  counsel,  and  he  wrote  a  large 
number.     If  parties  came  with  complaints,  desiring  litigation,  he 


410  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

acted  the  part  of  peace-maker.     ''My  docket,"  lie  said,  near  tlie 
close  of  life,  "  had  but  one  criminal  and  two  civil  cases." 

He  was  frequently  chosen  by  parties,  or  was  appointed  by  the 
courts,  as  referee.  Six  times  he  served  as  juror.  He  learned  land- 
surveying  at  an  early  date,  and  surveyed  many  farms.  He  was 
for  about  fifteen  3^ears  president  or  director  of  the  Granite  Fire 
Insurance  Company,  and  for  fifteen  3'ears  or  more  director  and 
secretary. 

Mr.  Little  was  one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  church  and 
religious  societj^,  giving  his  time,  his  counsel,  and  of  his  means 
to  sustain  what  he  conceived  to  be  for  the  vital  interests  of  the 
community.  In  speaking  of  the  part  he  had  taken  in  public  life, 
lie  once  said, — "  I  have  been  elected  more  times  to  some  responsi- 
ble office  in  town  by  ballots,  from  1828  to  1860,  than  there  are 
years,  and  I  can  say  what  many  cannot,  that  I  never,  directly  or 
indirectly,  solicited  a  nomination  or  vote." 

Mr.  Little's  strong  common-sense,  his  habits  of  thought,  and 
study  of  good  models,  gave  him  every  facility  in  the  use  of  lan- 
guage. He  wrote  many  articles  for  the  press,  on  a  great  variety 
of  subjects.  His  contributions  were  noted  for  their  strength, 
clearness,  and  incisiveness.  He  greatly  deplored  his  lack  of  edu- 
cation. His  attendance  at  the  district  school  closed  when  he  was 
seventeen.  His  academical  instruction  was  limited  to  eight 
weeks.  Mentally  and  physically  he  was  sturdy  and  honest.  It 
is  not  easy  to  estimate  the  influence  of  such  a  man, — one  who 
stood  with  all  his  might  for  tlie  maintenance  of  his  convictions 
of  truth  and  justice.  He  had  no  sj'mpathy  with  anj'thing  that 
in  any  way  tended  to  debase  the  tone  of  society. 

Mr.  Little  was  naturally  conservative,  and  his  fears  that  radi- 
calism might  overturn  the  foundations  of  society  led  him  to  resist 
all  innovations.  He  was  a  Puritan  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
Such  men  make  mistakes,  but  they  are  errors  of  the  head  and  not 
of  the  heart ;  and  their  fellow-men  will  overlook  any  error  of  judg- 
ment when  they  see  that  it  is  error  and  not  fraud  or  hyj^ocrisy. 
Men  who  opposed  him  politically,  who  dissented  from  his  views, 
ever  acknowledged  his  integrit}",  the  honesty  of  his  intentions,  and 
his  sterling  worth. 

During  his  last  years  he  suffered  partial  paralysis  that  incajiaci- 
tated  him  for  labor,  but,  even  while   the  fires  of  life  were  djdng 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  411 

out,  he  manifested  a  desire  to  do  what  he  could  for  the  good  of 
his  fellow-men.     [See  Gen.] 

LITTLE,    THOMAS,  CAPT., 

Son  of  Jesse  and  Martlia  (Gerrish)  Little,  was  born  in  Boscawen, 
2  Jan.,  1802.  He  had  no  educational  advantages  other  than 
those  furnished  hy  the  district  school.  He  remained  at  home 
upon  the  farm  now  owned  by  Mr.  Clifford,  while  two  of  his  elder 
brothers,  Jacob  and  Henry,  entered  college  and  studied  for  the 
ministry,  and  another  elder  brother,  John,  became  a  dresser  of 
cloth.  He  married  M3^ra,  daughter  of  Capt.  Joseph  Ames,  1829 
[see  Gen.],  and  moved  to  West  Creek,  Ind.,  1854,  where  he  resided 
till  his  death. 

He  was  kind,  genial,  warm-hearted,  and  had  an  overflow  of 
good  nature  which  made  him  everywhere  welcome.  He  loved 
children,  and  was  beloved  by  them.  He  was  a  good  citizen,  was 
several  times  elected  selectman,  and  was  as  faithful  in  public  as 
in  private  life.  He  was  hearty  in  his  support  of  the  religious  and 
charitable  institutions  of  the  day.  His  influence  was  ever  for 
good,  and  he  was  respected  and  honored  by  all  who  knew  him. 
He  died  at  West  Creek,  19  Aug.,  1877. 

LITTLE,    HOKACE, 

Son  of  Richard  and  Mary  (Pillsbury)  Little,  was  born  17  Sept., 
1832.  His  father  dying  when  he  was  but  eight  years  of  age,  de- 
privecf  him  of  parental  care  and  help.  He  attended  the  district 
school,  and  went  to  Pennsylvania  in  1851,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided. His  present  home  is  at  Eidgeway.  He  was  emjiloyed  for 
several  years  as  a  land-surveyor,  and  while  thus  engaged  had  an 
opportunity  of  making  observations  of  the  value  of  real  estate  in 
the  lumber  regions,  Avhich  he  has  since  turned  to  good  account. 
He  has  been  a  large  operator  in  land  and  lumber.  He  married 
Lucy  A.  Taylor,  of  Pennsylvania,  and  has  five  children.  [See 
Gen.] 

LITTLE,    CHARLES    HERBEKT, 

Was  the  youngest  son  of  Benjamin  and  Rhoda  (Bartlett)  Little. 
He  was  born  in  Boscawen,  5  Dec,  1804,  and  prepared  for  college 
under  the   tuition   of   Eev.   Daniel   Lancaster   and   Eev.  Samuel 


412  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

Wood.  After  graduating  in  1827  lie  completed  the  course  at 
Andover  Theological  Seminary  in  1830.  Hoping  to  find  a  more 
congenial  climate,  he  passed  most  of  the  two  subsequent  years  as 
a  teacher  in  a  private  family,  and  in  a  female  academy-  in  South 
Carolina.  He  returned  to  New  Hampshire  in  August,  1833,  and 
became  joint  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Neio  Han^yshire  Ob- 
server, a  religious  paper  printed  at  Concord.  He  resigned  the 
editorship  in  February,  1835,  on  account  of  gradually  failing 
health.  He  returned  to  his  home,  lingered  till  1  Jan.,  1836, 
■when  he  calmly  passed  away.     His  disease  was  consumption. 

LITTLE,    CHARLES,    M.    D. 

Charles  Little,  son  of  Capt.  Richard  and  IMary  C.  Little,  was 
born  at  Little  hill.  West  Boscawen,  14  Feb.,  1837.  At  the  age 
of  fifteen  he  united  with  the  Congregational  church.  He  fitted 
for  college  at  Andover,  Mass.,  entered  Dartmouth  in  1856,  and 
was  graduated  in  1860.  He  began  at  once  the  study  of  medicine. 
Liberty4oving  and  eager  for  the  service  of  his  country,  he  enlisted 
as  hospital  steward  with  the  15th  Regiment  Vt.  V.  M.  in  1862. 
He  was  earnest  and  faithful  in  his  work,  enduring  much  hardship 
upon  the  march  and  in  care  of  the  sick,  often  acting  as  nurse,  and 
watching  through  the  long  nights  alone,  with  men  who  were  too 
sick  to  be  moved  when  the  orders  came  to  "  strike  tents."  It  was 
said  of  liim,  that  among  the  sick  he  had  the  touch  of  a  woman. 

He  took  his  medical  degree  at  Hanover,  N.  H.,  October,  1863, 
and  in  ISTovember  entered  the  U.  S.  Navy  as  acting  assistamt  sur- 
geon. He  was  appointed  to  the  "■  Winona,"  a  vessel  of  the  block- 
ading fleet  off  Charleston  harbor,  S.  C.  He  had  the  medical  care 
of  about  one  hundred  men  until  the  close  of  the  war  in  1865. 

Life  at  sea  was  sometimes  monotonous,  but  subject  at  all  times, 
night  and  day,  to  sudden  and  intense  excitements, — keeping  clear 
of  torpedoes,  sighting  strange-looking  craft,  with  now  and  then  a 
hot  pursuit  for  a  prize.  The  one  grand,  joyful  event  to  them  was 
the  receiving  of  the  mail.  Shut  out  as  they  were  from  the  world, 
the  suspense  was  sometimes  terrible,  so  words  from  home  and 
news  of  the  progress  of  the  war  were  eagerly  received.  The  longed- 
for  news  came  at  length.  He  says,  in  his  diary,  15  April,  1865, 
— "  The  Canonicus  came  in  with  the  certain  information  that  Gen. 
Lee  has  surrendered.     Glory  to  God  !  " 


Iv 


(ffjz^?-iy<>-i^    X^^^^^z^ 


'^l-^S'T^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  413 

Upon  his  discharge  from  service  he  continued  the  study  of  med- 
icine six  months  at  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  'New 
York  city.  June  11,  1866,  he  married  the  only  daughter  of  Har- 
ris Cowdrey,  M.  D.,  of  Acton,  Mass.,  and  hegan  in  that  town  the 
general  practice  of  his  jjrofession.  He  entered  upon  his  work 
with  zeal  and  ambition,  and  with  such  success  as  to  give  promise 
of  high  rank  among  physicians. 

He  died  of  consumption  16  Nov.,  1869,  aged  32  years  and  10 
months.     His  career  was  brief,  but  it  was  eventful  and  manly. 

LITTLE,    HEXRY,    D.    D., 

Son  of  Jesse  and  Martha  (Gerrish)  Little,  was  born  in  Boscawen, 
23  March,  1800.  At  the  age  of  15  he  united  with  the  church 
over  which  Rev.  E.  Price  was  pastor,  and,  with  Enoch  Kilburn, 
Simeon  B.  Little,  and  other  young  men,  sustained  a  young  peo- 
ple's prayer-meeting  every  Saturday  evening  for  five  years. 

At  17  and  18  he  taught  school  at  Canterbury,  N.  H.,  and  at 
19  the  school  on  Water  street,  Boscawen,  in  which  fourteen  of 
his  scholars  became  Christians.  In  the  reformation  that  winter, 
he  took  an  active  part  in  the  meetings,  visited  from  house  to 
house,  and  helped  twelve  men  to  commence  family  worshi2). 

This  revival  settled  the  question  in  regard  to  entering  the  min- 
istry, and  near  his  twentieth  birthday  he  began  to  fit  for  college, 
studj'ing  with  Samuel  Wood,  d.  d.,  of  Boscawen,  at  Salisbury 
academy,  and  at  Hanover.  He  graduated  at  Dartmouth  college 
in  1826,  at  Andover  Theological  Seminary  in  1829,  and  was  or- 
dained as  an  evangelist  the  next  day,  34  Sept.,  in  Park  Street 
church,  Boston,  with  fifteen  other  home  and  foreign  missionaries, 
by  the  Presbytery  of  Newburyport,  Mass. 

While  a  senior  at  Andover,  Dr.  Porter  gave  Mr.  L.  the  credit 
of  bringing  twenty  from  the  two  classes  below  him  in  college  to 
the  seminary.  His  influence  over  so  many  students  induced  Dr. 
Porter  and  the  other  professors,  with  Dr.  Cornelius,  then  secre- 
tary of  the  American  Education  Society,  to  select  him  as  agent 
for  that  object,  which  position  he  filled  for  about  two  years  in 
New  England  and  the  West,  commencing  in  New  Hampshire  and 
Massachusetts.  Continuing  in  the  same  work,  lie  visited  the 
Western  States,  travelling  on  horseback  over  western  Pennsyl- 
vania, western  Virginia,  Ohio,  Indiana,  Kentucky,  and  Tennes- 


414  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

see  ;  also  through  a  part  of  Illinois  and  Michigan.  He  soon 
accepted  a  call  from  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Oxford,  Ohio 
(June,  1831),  where  in  less  than  two  3'ears  297  were  added  to  its 
number.     His  pastorate  closed  in  April,  1833. 

About  this  date,  the  American  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  and 
the  American  Home  Missionary  Society,  with  the  American  Tract 
Society  and  the  American  Education  Society,  all  had  a  branch  of 
their  work  for  the  great  West  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  each  of  them 
wishing  him  to  be  their  secretary  and  general  agent.  He  soon 
received  the  appointment  of  secretary  and  agent  for  the  Board  of 
Agency  of  the  Western  States  for  the  American  Home  Missionary 
Society. 

Thus  located  at  Cincinnati,  the  whole  country  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghanies  was  his  field,  and  his  zealous,  constant,  and  efficient  labors 
were  crowned  with  success.  He  had  not  yet  given  up  the  idea  of 
being  pastor,  and  had  a  successful  pastorate  of  two  years  in  Mad- 
ison, Ind.  (from  Nov.,  1838,  to  1840),  during  which  time  sixty 
united  with  the  church. 

He  once  turned  aside  to  beg  $50,000  for  Lane  Theological  Sem- 
inary, and  once  $10,000  for  the  Western  Female  Seminary  at  Ox- 
ford, Ohio ;  but  his  main  life-work  has  lieen  that  of  home  missions. 
In  many  of  the  past  years,  between  the  fall  and  spring  pres- 
byteries, he  has  preached  as  often  as  once  a  day  for  five  or  six 
months,  and  has  seen  thousands  become  Christians. 

Dr.  Little  has  ever  been  an  earnest  Sabbath-school  worker,  be- 
ginning at  Boscawen,  when  such  schools  were  first  formed  in  that 
town.  The  graded  school  system,  and  its  adoption  by  the  state  of 
Indiana,  found  in  him  an  earnest  advocate  ;  and  in  the  Indiana 
Centennial  School  Report,  Dr.  Henry  Little's  name  is  given  as 
the  originator  of  the  first  graded  school  in  that  state. 

Dr.  L.  has  twice  had  applications  to  be  a  professor  in  college, 
has  received  invitations  to  settle  over  churches  in  St.  Louis,  Louis- 
ville, Cincinnati,  Lowell,  Mass.,  and  other  places ;  but,  after  en- 
tering the  home  missionary  work  the  second  time,  in  1840,  it 
seemed  his  duty  to  continue  in  it  the  rest  of  his  life.  He  married, 
19  Sept.,  1831,  Miss  Susan  Norton  Smith,  of  Hatfield,  Mass.,  a 
pupil  of  Miss  Grant  and  Miss  Mary  Lyon.  Of  his  eight  chil- 
dren, four  are  sons,  all  ministers,  and  settled  over  Presbyterian 
churches  at  Washington,  D.  C,  New  Albany,  Ind.,  Mankato,  Minn., 
and  St.  Louis,  Mo. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  415 

An  article  in  the  Independent,  9th  May,  1867,  written  by  the 
president  of  Wabash  college,  Rev.  Dr.  Tuttle,  sets  forth  tlie  Labors 
of  Dr.  Little : 

"During  a  brief  pastorate,  many  scores  were  converted,  and  some  of 
these  till  places  of  great  usefulness  in  the  church  and  state.  There  is 
uo  labor  he  shuns,  in  prosecuting  his  work  as  a  sort  of  home  missionary 
bishop.  Along  the  Miami,  the  Scioto,  the  Muskingum,  the  White, 
and  the  AVabash,  in  the  heats  of  summer  and  the  tremendous  discom- 
forts of  a  AVestern  winter,  he  pushes  his  work, — now  in  the  gra;id  old 
woods,  now  in  the  log  school-house  or  private  mansion,  or  in  the  hum- 
ble meeting-house,  telling  men  of  Christ.  He  has  rode  four  contin- 
uous days  oti  horseback,  in  the  luud  and  rain,  to  reach  an  appoint- 
ment. 

"From  ]\Iarietta  to  Evansville,  from  Cleveland  to  La  Porte,  this 
man  has  gone,  planting  churches,  building  up  waste  places,  encourag- 
ing home  missionaries,  searching  out  the  scattered  sheep,  holding  pro- 
tracted meetings,  everywhere  welcomed,  honored,  and  loved.  Thirty- 
six  years  has  he  been  at  this  ivork,  until  he  has  publicly  addressed  more 
audiences,  visited  more  churches,  worked  directly  in  more  revivals  in 
Ohio  and  Indiana,  talked  to  more  people,  seen  more  changes  in  commu- 
nities and  persons,  than  any  man  that  can  be  named. 

"  Go  where  he  will,  he  meets  those  who  owe  everything  to  him  as 
God's  instrument,  those  who  have  been  encouraged  by  him,  those  who 
have  caught  the  best  impulses  of  life  from  him  ; — and  now,  in  this  year 
1867,  this  blessed  man  has  preached  fourteen  times  in  eight  days  in  one 
pulpit,  preaching  the  gospel  in  such  a  cheerful  light  that  his  hearers 
exclaim,  '  Would  to  God  we  could  love  it  as  he  does!  '  " 

The  above  was  written  in  1867.  E-ev.  Dr.  Little  is  still  en- 
gaged in  the  work  of  planting  churches,  making,  since  his  ordina- 
tion in  1829,  more  than  forty-eight  years  of  continuous  labor. 
He  is  now  superintendent  of  missions  for  the  state  of  Indiana. 
The  honorable  title  of  D.  d.  was  conferred  on  him  by  Wabash 
college  in  1865. 

LITTLE,    ALFKED,    MAJ., 

Son  of  Henry  and  Susan  Little,  and  grandson  of  Enoch  and 
Jesse  Little,  was  born  in  Boscawen,  3  June,  1823.  At  six  years 
of  age  a  partial  parah^sis  disabled  one  limb,  obliging  liim  to  use  a 
crutch.  In  May,  1836,  the  family  moved  to  Peoria,  111.,  where  a 
severe  attack  of  rheumatic  fever  in  part  destroyed  the  use  of  his 
other  leg.     After  the  death  of  his  father  (who  died  suddenly, 


416  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

29  April,  183S)  lie  returned  to  Boscawen,  in  May,  1840,  and  in 
the  autumn  of  the  same  year  commenced  to  work  in  the  melodeon 
and  seraphine  shop  of  Mr.  Charles  Austin,  at  Concord,  N.  H.,  one 
of  the  very  earliest  manufacturers  of  reed  instruments  in  America. 

Noted  from  a  child  for  his  musical  talents  and  correct  ear,  he 
soon  became  tuner  of  these  instruments,  being  among  the  first  to 
introduce  various  improvements  in  the  voicing  and  tuning  of 
reeds,  which  have  since  been  adopted  by  his  brother  craftsmen 
throughout  the  country. 

Two  serious  faults  of  the  early  instruments  of  this  description 
were,  first,  slowness  of  speech,  and,  second,  a  crude  and  reedy 
quality  of  tone.  To  obviate  these  defects,  Maj.  Little  soon  found 
that  a  material  change  could  be  made  by  bending  and  shaping 
the  reeds,  divesting  them  of  their  harsh  and  unpleasant  sound, 
and  giving  to  them  a  tone  more  round  and  mellow.  By  this 
method,  an  even  tone  of  the  same  quality  throughout  the  scale 
was  produced,  and  with  greater  freedom  of  vibration,  causing 
them,  in  tuner's  language,  to  "speak  quick." 

The  3fusic  Trade  Jievieic,  New  York,  of  3  Sept.,  1877,  con- 
tains an  article,  entitled  "Who  was  the  original  inventor  of  the 
art  of  voicing  reeds  ?"  in  which  the  following  extract  of  a  letter 
from  J.  D.  Cheney,  tuner  and  manufacturer  of  cabinet  organs  at 
Stevens  Plain,  Me.,  is  given : 

"I  was  at  A.  Prescott's,  Concord,  N.  II.,  from  the  winter  of  ISio-G 
to  1850,  and  I  am  sure  that  Alfred  Little,  who  was  then  tuning  for 
Charles  Austin,  used  to  bend  the  points  of  the  reeds,  as  he  said,  'to 
talce  away  a  part  of  the  snarl P 

"  This  was  previous  to  Mr.  Carhart's  improved  tube-board,  and 
was  done  in  connection  with  the  old  style  force-bellows,  round-keyed 
melodeon.'" 

At  a  Mechanic's  Fair,  held  in  Boston,  the  attention  of  Dea. 
Timoth}^  Gilbert,  piano-maker,  was  called  to  the  peculiar  quality 
and  pure  tone  of  an  instrument  tuned  by  Ma,j.  Little,  and  he  ever 
after  procured  his  reeds  of  Mr.  Austin  for  the  "  J^^olian  attach- 
ment "  to  his  pianos. 

Maj.  Little  claims  to  be  the  first  tuner  in  America  who  regular- 
ly set  the  equal  temperament  on  reed  instruments,  and  in  this  was 
several  years  in  advance  of  his  contemporaries.  For  his  first 
efforts  in  this  direction,  he  was  greatly  indebted  to  the  late  Prof. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  417 

George  Wood,  the  sweet  singer  of  Concord,  N.  H.  It  is  probably 
true  that  he  tuned  the  first  double-reed  instrument  in  this  coun- 
try,—  a  seraphine,  made  by  Charles  Austin.  He  also  tuned 
melodeons  for  Dearborn  &  Bartlett,  of  Concord,  N.  H.,  continu- 
ing in  the  business  until  1852.  At  this  date  he  invented  and 
manufactured,  for  his  own  use,  an  instrument  of  considerable 
power,  and  yet  of  remarkable  sweetness,  which  has  been  his 
constant  companion  to  the  present  day.  On  listening  to  its 
tones,  an  eminent  musical  critic  pronounced  it  a  "miniature  or- 
chestra," which  suggested  its  name, — the  Orchestral  Melodeon 
[see  engraving].  For  its  versatility  of  musical  effects,  its  inimi- 
table tremolo,  and  the  dynamical  expression  of  which  it  is  capa- 
ble, this  instrument  is  unsurpassed. 

The  round-keyed  melodeon,  in  use  from  1838  to  1850,  has  almost 
wholl}^  disappeared,  having  been  succeeded  by  the  cabinet  organ. 
The  original  melodeon  (as  seen  in  engraving)  was  blown  by  the 
left  arm,  a  movement  awkward  to  most  men,  and  giving  a  limited 
use  of  the  left  hand.  Maj.  Little  soon  attained  wonderful  skilful- 
ness  in  the  manipulation  of  this  instrument,  and  as  a  player  of 
the  round-keyed  melodeon  he  is  without  a  peer  in  the  world. 

Possessing  the  rare  gift  of  improvisation,  seemingly  without 
any  study  he  calls  forth  from  his  instrument  many  a  gem  of  mel- 
ody and  harmony,  which  "  to  hear  once  is  to  wish  to  hear  again." 
Endowed  with  a  voice  of  great  sweetness  and  pathos,  though  not 
of  remarkable  compass,  and  having  a  high  appreciation  of  the 
beautiful  in  poetry  as  well  as  in  music,  he  became  popular  as  a 
concert  giver.  His  first  musical  entertainment  was  in  Pantheon 
hall,  Fisherville,  N.  H.,  March,  1846.  Since  then  he  has  given 
delight  to  hundreds  of  thousands  in  New  England,  Ohio,  Indiana, 
and  Illinois. 

Ever  ready  to  respond  with  voice  and  instrument  to  the  calls  of 
charity  and  patriotism,  cheering  the  patient  on  his  bed  of  suffer- 
ing, or  teaching  a  Sabbath-school  song  to  children,  he  has  made 
friends  everywhere  ;  and  many  a  wayfarer  has  been  aided  by  his 
helping  hand,  or  cheered  by  his  buoyant  sympathy. 

He  was  appointed  fife-major  of  the  21st  N.  H.  Regiment  by  Col. 
Joseph  L.  Pillsbury,  receiving  the  honorary  commission  at  the 
hands  of  Gov.  N.  B.  Baker. 

Nature  does  not  always  endow  her  poets  with  an  exquisite 
27 


418  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

sense  of  melody,  or  enable  them  to  produce  her  harmonies  in 
music  ;  hut  she  has  made  an  exception  in  the  person  of  Maj. 
Little; — he  is  both  musician  and  poet.  Few  men  have  a  pro- 
founder  appreciation  of  the  melodies  of  Haydn,  or  the  soul-inspir- 
ing harmonies  of  Handel  and  Beethoven,  than  he  ;  and  there  are 
few  Avho  take  greater  delight  in  the  study  of  Milton  and  Shake- 
speare. 

That  Maj.  Little  has  poetic  talent  is  manifest  by  the  following 
song — an  apostrophe  to  a  fine  group  of  trees  still  adorning  the  old 
homestead,  now  owned  by  Capt.  William  D.  George  : 

MY  MERRY  MAPLE  GROVE. 

There  is  a  spot  to  mem'ry  dear, 

"Where  oft  in  childhood  I  would  rove, 
The  merry  wildbird's  song  to  hear : 

It  was  my  Maple  Grove. 
How  fair  the  view  on  every  side — 

The  church  on  yonder  hill, 
Kearsarge  in  all  its  lofty  pride, 

The  pond  so  clear  and  still. 

And  then  the  moss-grown  rock  I'd  climb, 

To  pick  the  berries  ripe  and  red ; 
"While  squirrels  scattered  from  the  limb 

Their  nutshells  on  my  head. 
'Twas  there  I  hammered  from  the  ledge 

Bright  garnets  hued  like  wine, 
Or  gathered  from  its  western  edge 

The  nodding  columbine. 

Dear  Maple  Grove !  I  see  thee  now, 

Enrobed  in  dress  of  flowing  green ; 
There  stands  my  boyhood's  home  below, 

"With  grassy  lane  between. 
Though  fairer  scenes  perchance  may  be 

To  win  a  poet's  love, — 
Yet  thou  art  ever  dear  to  me. 

My  merry  Maple  Grove. 

There's  not  a  tree  that  braves  the  gale, 

Or  towering  rock  or  purling  rill, 
But  telleth  each  its  simple  tale 

Of  recollection  still. 
Though  flowers  may  fade  and  friends  may  die, 

Though  far  away  I  rove, — 
Yet  oft  shall  winged  mem'ry  fly 

To  thee !  my  Maple  Grove. 

LITTLE,    JACOB,    D.    D., 

Son  of  Jesse  and  Martha  (G-errish)  Little,  was  bom  in  Boscawen, 
N.  H.,  1  May,  1795.     At  the  age  of  eleven  years  he  became  a 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  419 

Christian,  and  united  with  the  Congregational  church  of  Bos- 
cawen,  West  Parish,  25  June,  1815.  He  fitted  for  college  under 
Samuel  Wood,  D.  d.,  of  Boscawen,  and  at  Meriden  academy ;  grad- 
uated at  Dartmouth  in  1822 ;  and  at  Andover  Theological  Semi- 
nary in  1825.  He  was  ordained  as  an  evangelist,  at  Goffstown, 
N.  H.,  and  first  preached  six  months  at  Hoosick,  N.  Y. 

In  1826  he  entered  the  employ  of  the  AVashington  County 
(Ohio)  Missionary  Society,  reaching  Belpre  (near  Marietta)  June 
80.  His  lahors  in  this  and  other  towns  within  the  county  con- 
tinued about  one  year.  Here,  and  in  neighboring  places,  Bible- 
classes  (the  first  in  that  section)  were  formed  ;  here,  also,  he 
preached  his  first  temperance  sermon. 

He  commenced  his  labors  at  GrauA'ille,  Licking  county,  Ohio, 
1  June,  1827,  and  at  the  end  of  six  months  was  settled  over  the 
Congregational  church  in  that  place,  where  he  continued  as  pastor 
until  4  Dec,  1864,  a  period  of  thirty-seven  and  one  half  years. 

In  this  charming  town  of  central  Ohio,  long  noted  for  its  cul- 
tured men  and  women,  its  churches  and  various  institutions  of 
learning.  Dr.  Little,  with  his  shrewd  good  sense  and  pious  exam- 
ple, led  the  people  for  nearly  forty  years. 

Previous  to  his  removal  to  Granville,  an  unhappy  quarrel  had 
split  the  church  into  factions ;  but  with  the  most  consummate  tact 
— he  was  the  very  prince  of  Christian  tacticians — he  brought 
these  factions  together,  and  became  the  pastor  of  the  now  reunited 
organization.  In  this,  and  in  other  matters  connected  with  his 
people.  Dr.  Little  showed  himself  to  be  by  nature  a  commander, 
in  knowing  what  ought  to  be  done,  and  how  to  do  it.  "  Blessed 
are  the  peace-makers,"  and  he  and  his  people  were  soon  blessed 
with  a  revival  of  wonderful  power,  the  first  of  thirteen  great  re- 
vivals during  his  ministry. 

His  labors  were  so  eminently  successful  that  the  church  at 
Granville  soon  became  the  most  noted  religious  organization  in 
central  Ohio.  The  parish  was  six  miles  square,  but  the  pastor 
systematically  visited  every  family  belonging  to  his  congregation, 
organizing  conference  and  prayer  meetings  as  well  as  Bible- 
classes  in  every  district,  which  were  conducted  with  astonishing 
efficiency.  In  teaching  and  explaining  the  scriptures  he  took 
great  delight,  and  spent  much  time  in  fitting  himself  for  this  im- 
portant duty. 


420  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

Dr.  Little  had  the  rare  faculty  of  setting  everybody  to  work. 
There  was  hardly  a  male  member  in  his  church  that  did  not  pray 
in  imblic,  and  a  large  part  of  them  exhorted  publicly  in  the  con- 
ference meeting.  He  soon  became  known  as  the  "plain  preacher" 
— the  man  who  dared  to  speak  boldly  in  condemnation  of  vice. 
His  "  New  Years'  Sermons,"  on  the  first  Sunday  in  January,  were 
always  reviews  of  the  year,  and  on  that  day  every  seat  and  aisle 
in  the  meeting-house  was  occupied.  Several  of  these  sermons 
were  published.  A  letter  in  the  New  York  Tribune,  29  July, 
1854,  gives  the  following  sketch  of  Dr.  L. : 

"  The  most  remarkable  man  in  Granville,  if  not  in  the  whole  county, 
is  the  Rev.  Jacob  Little,  pastor  of  the  Congregational  church.  He  is 
a  graduate  of  Dartmouth  college,  and  keeps  his  polite  studies  bright  by 
practice.  He  is  extremely  plain  in  his  appearance,  and  in  the  pulpit 
has  none  of  the  mannerisms  of  his  profession.  In  style  he  is  perfectly 
simple,  and  yet  there  is  such  robust  good  sense  in  all  that  he  does,  and 
such  sagacity  of  judgment,  rarely  in  error,  accompanied  by  a  rare  purity 
and  integrity  of  character,  that  it  may  be  said  he  stands  among  the 
foremost  ranks  of  his  profession  in  this  great  state.  His  goodness  is  so 
good  as  to  amount  to  genius,  and  his  simplicity  of  manner  and  style  at 
times  produces  the  effects  of  the  highest  eloquence.  He  has  a  wonderful 
passion  for  statistics  connected  with  his  own  locality,  and  can  tell  you 
how  many  get  drunk,  how  many  drink  intoxicating  liquor,  how  many 
use  tobacco,  how  many  have  died  since  he  was  in  Granville,  and  at  what 
age  and  of  what  disease,  how  many  attend  church,  and  who  visit  and 
travel  on  Sundays,"  &c.,  &c. 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  Dr.  Little's  new  year's  ser- 
mon of  1849 : 

"  This  township  has  411  families  and  1,376  adults.  It  has  37  drinking 
families,  119  drinking  adults,  21  drunkards,  and  during  the  past  year 
has  consumed  4,153  gallons  of  intoxicating  Hquor,  The  families  having 
no  altar  are  219;  reading  no  religious  papers,  223;  children  between  six 
and  twenty-one  attending  no  Sabbath-school,  179;  adults  who  visit, 
work,  or  journey  on  the  Sabbath,  183;  neglect  public  worship,  113; 
cannot  read,  22;  use  profane  language,  189;  use  tobacco,  364;  play 
cards,  83;  attend  balls,  40;  supposed  to  be  impenitent,  777.  The  send- 
ino-  150  persons  to  Botany  bay  would  blot  from  our  history  most  of  the 
above  number." 

During  Dr.  Little's  pastorate  at  Granville,  there  were  added 
to  his  church  1,041  members,  of  whom  664  were  received  upon 


^^^Jcs^'mL 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY,  421 

profession  of  their  faith.  In  these  j^ears  he  preached  about  5,000 
sermons,  and  more  than  1,000  persons  are  supposed  to  have  been 
led  to  a  religious  life  through  his  ministry. 

His  kind  and  genial  nature  secured  the  love  and  confidence  of 
children  and  youth,  who  ever  felt  free  to  come  to  him  for  needed 
sympathy  and  counsel.  His  varied  duties  as  pastor  and  preacher  led 
him  to  be  systematic  and  exact.  Says  a  writer  in  the  New  York 
Evangelist, — "  I  never  saw  Jacob  Little  oif  duty  and  at  leisure. 
His  industry  was  restless,  and  his  method  un3'ielding  as  iron 
bands."  As  a  writer,  he  was  simple  and  plain,  preferring  force  to 
elegance,  choosing  to  have  his  sentiments  rather  than  his  sen- 
tences remembered. 

In  1863,  Dr.  Little  delivered  a  course  of  lectures  at  Lane  Theo- 
logical Seminary,  on  Pastoral  Theology;  and  from  January,  1867, 
to  July,  1869,  furnished  a  column  each  week  for  the  Christicm 
Herald,  published  at  Cincinnati,  entitled  "  The  Pastor."  Besides 
the  "  New  Years'  Sermons,"  he  published  several  other  discourses, 
as  well  as  many  delightful  and  valuable  articles  in  the  religious 
newspapers.  Perhaps  his  most  important  work  is  the  "  History 
of  Granville,"  published  in  fifty-nine  numbers  of  the  Ohio  Ob- 
server, at  Hudson,  about  the  year  1845. 

The  male  academj^  and  the  female  seminary  of  Granville  (of  the 
latter  of  which  he  was  trustee)  owed  their  existence  and  much  of 
their  prosperity  to  his  efforts.  For  a  number  of  years  he  was 
trustee  of  Western  Eeserve  college,  and  of  Central  college,  Ohio. 
He  also  served  as  trustee  of  Marietta  college  from  1845  to  1870. 

In  person,  Dr.  Little  was  a  large  man,  and  jiossessed  great  phys- 
ical activity  and  endurance.  For  thirty  years  his  average  weight 
in  the  winter  was  200  pounds.  For  thirty-five  years  he  never 
lost  a  Sabbath  from  ill  health.  This  he  attributed  largely  to  his 
regular  and  temperate  habits,  using  neither  tea,  coffee,  nor  tobacco. 

At  the  close  of  1864,  Dr.  Little  resigned  his  pastorate  over  the 
church  at  Granville,  and  removed  to  his  farm  near  Warsaw,  Ind., 
where  he  resided  until  1874,  preaching  to  unsupplied  churches 
about  one  third  of  the  time.  His  strength  beginmng  to  fail,  he 
then  removed  to  the  home  of  his  son,  Eev.  Charles  Little,  at 
Wabash,  Ind.,  where  he  passed  to  his  rest,  17  Dec,  1876,  aged 
81  years,  7  months,  and  16  days. 

In  1855,  the  degree  of  d.  d.  was  conferred  on  him  by  Marietta 


422  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

college.  He  married,  1st,  Lucy,  daughter  of  Capt.  Joseph  Ger- 
rish,  of  Canterbury,  K.  H.,  1  June,  1826,  who  died  5  Oct.,  1834 ; 
2d,  Ann  Dorothy,  daughter  of  Hon.  T.  M.  Thompson,  of  Gran- 
ville, Ohio,  23  March,  1836.  Four  children, — one  son  by  his  first 
and  two  sons  and  a  daughter  by  his  second  marriage, — are  now  liv- 
ing, the  three  sons  being  ministers  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 
(See  Gen.) 

MACUEDY,    DAVID    A.,    CAPT., 

Enlisted  as  a  private,  with  his  brother  Matthew,  11  Aug.,  1862, 
in  the  14th  Regiment  [for  movements  of  which  see  Adjutant-Gen- 
eral's Eeport,  state  of  New  Hampshire].  During  the  fall  and 
winter  the  regiment  was  on  duty  at  AVashington  and  along  the 
Potomac,  picketing  the  river  for  a  distance  of  forty  miles,  endur- 
ing great  hardships.  The  summer  of  1863  was  passed  in  doing 
guard  duty  from  Harper's  Perry  to  Portress  Monroe.  In  the 
spring  of  1864,  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  the  Department  of 
the  GuK,  and  came  near  being  shipwrecked  on  the  voyage  to  New 
Orleans.  After  a  short  service  on  the  Mississippi,  the  regiment 
returned  to  the  Potomac,  and  was  ordered  to  the  Shenandoah, 
joining  Sheridan's  corps,  Aug.  18. 

On  the  19th  of  Sept.  occurred  the  battle  of  Perryville.  The  reg- 
iment was  on  the  march  at  2  A.  M.  The  artillery  fire  began  be- 
fore daylight,  but  the  battle  did  not  become  general  till  11  o'clock 
in  the  forenoon.  The  14th  N.  H.  was  on  the  extreme  right  of 
Sheridan's  infantry  line.  The  advance  of  the  Union  troops  was 
so  impetuous  that  the  enemy  were  driven  at  every  point,  but  in 
the  ardor  of  pursuit  the  line  became  confused.  The  artillery  of 
the  enemy  opened  with  deadly  effect.  The  order  was  given  to 
fall  back.  While  the  movement  was  being  executed,  Capt.  Ma- 
curdy's  younger  brother,  Matthew,  was  instantly  killed,  and 
the  captain  himself  (then  lieutenant)  wounded.  The  loss  to 
the  regiment  was  thirteen  officers  and  one  hundred  and  thirty 
privates  killed  and  wounded.  After  his  wound  had  healed,  Capt. 
Macurdy  rejoiijed  his  regiment,  which  was  ordered  to  Savannah 
1  Jan.,  1865,  where  it  remained  till  the  close  of  the  war.  Capt. 
Macurdy  was  commissioned  first  lieutenant  27  May,  1864 ;  pro- 
moted to  captaincy  22  Nov.,  1864 ;  and  mustered  out  8  July,  1865. 
He  has  been  honored  by  his  fellow-citizens  with  the  offices  of 


BIOGRAPHICAL   HISTORY.  423 

selectman  and  representative  [see  Town  Officers].  He  lias  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  trader  in  Webster,  Concord,  and  again  in 
Webster. 

MOKRILL,    ROBIE,    REV.  , 

The  second  minister  of  Boscawen  was  Rev.  Eobie  Morrill,  son 
of  Abraham  Morrill,  of  Salisbury,  Mass.  [see  Gen.],  where  he  was 
born  28  Aug.,  1734,  the  year  in  which  the  first  band  of  settlers 
reared  their  log  cabins  in  Contoocook.  He  graduated  at  Harvard, 
1755,  studied  theology,  and  was  ordained  minister  29  Dec,  1761. 
He  preached  about  five  years,  and  then,  owing  to  some  disaffec- 
tion [see  Civil  Hist.],  resigned  his  ministerial  office.  He  never 
again  engaged  in  preaching,  but  became  a  teacher,  and  taught 
many  years  during  the  closing  decades  of  the  last  century.  He 
was  a  useful  citizen,  a  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  punctilious 
in  dress,  yielding  never  to  the  changes  of  fashion,  but  wearing  to 
the  close  of  life  his  wig,  his  black  silk  stockings,  silver  shoe  and 
knee  buckles.  He  was  small  of  stature,  and  was  bald-headed,  but 
the  loss  of  hair  was  supplied  by  a  wig  and  cue,  which  the  roguish- 
ly inclined,  roystering  school-boys  had  the  temerity  to  dandle  at 
times,  not  unfrequeiitly  paying  for  it  with  aching  palms. 

Rev.  Mr.  Morrill  was  erratic  in  his  ways.  Tradition  reports 
that  he  once  selected  for  his  text  the  pronoun  "  it ;"  that  once 
he  astonished  his  congregation  by  exclaiming, — "There  goes  a 
mouse  ! "  But  if  erratic,  he  was  possessed  of  a  rich  vein  of  humor. 
Some  of  tlie  members  of  his  congregation  not  unfrequently  fell 
asleep  during  his  long-drawn  sermon,  and  disturbed  the  preacher 
by  their  snoring.  On  a  Sunday  Mrs.  Morrill  dropped  asleep, 
whereupon  her  husband  paused  in  his  preaching  and  thus  ad- 
dressed one  of  his  wakeful  hearers  :  "  My  friend,  won't  you  please 
punch  that  man  who  snores  so  loud,  for  if  he  goes  on  at  that  rate 
he  will  wake  up  my  wife." 

Mr.  Morrill  erected  the  house  now  standing  near  the  site  of  the 
ancient  fort,  the  oldest  framed  house  in  the  town.  He  was  a  man 
of  sterling  character,  and  in  the  formative  period,  during  the  Rev- 
olutionary war  and  the  first  years  of  the  republic,  when  society 
and  political  institutions  were  undergoing  a  change,  his  influence 
was  ever  on  the  right  side.  He  died  in  1813,  greatly  respected 
by  his  fellow-citizens. 


424  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 


MOODY,    PHEBE    K.,    MRS. 

Phebe  Knight,  daughter  of  Caleb  Knight,  came  to  Boscawen 
with  her  father  in  1792,  from  Newbi;ry,  Mass.  She  was  employed 
as  a  school-teacher, — one  of  the  few  female  teachers  of  the  last 
century.  She  was  united  in  marriage  to  Nicholas  Moody,  who 
resided  in  a  secluded  locality  west  of  Little  hill.  Mrs.  Moody, 
though  bound  down  by  the  prosaic  occupations  of  a  farmer's 
household,  and  cut  off  from  associations  generally  deemed  neces- 
sary to  literary  culture,  found  time  to  throw  off,  now  and  then,  a 
poetical  effusion  for  her  friends.  At  the  close  of  the  last  century 
there  were  few  newspapers,  and  fewer  magazines ;  nevertheless 
some  of  her  poetical  scraps  found  their  way  into  print,  and  were 
greatly  admired.  She  was  endowed  with  native  poetic  talent  of  a 
high  order,  a  delicate  appreciation  of  the  beautiful,  and  rare  fa- 
cility of  expression,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  few  fragments  that 
have  been  preserved : 

POETICAL  EPISTLE  TO  A  YOUNG  FRIEND. 
Dear  Miss : 

Your  friend  has  requested  a  letter  for  you, 

But  at  present  I  Icnow  not  what  theme  to  pursue, 

Unless  of  my  dwelling  I  give  you  a  view. 

I'm  of  the  earth,  earthly;  and  therefore  my  mind 

To  things  of  small  moment  is  mostly  inclined. 

My  time  and  my  tlioughts  are  employ'd  in  my  dairy. 

Though  sometimes  I  scribble  when  of  tliat  I'm  weary. 

My  writing,  you'll  notice,  is  none  of  tlie  best. 

Though  perhaps  not  so  coarse  as  my  genius  and  taste. 

But  enough  of  this  preface :  I  now  will  proceed 

To  draw  you  a  landscape  if  you  it  can  read. 

In  this  lonely  vale,  half  a  mile  from  the  road, 

Shut  out  from  the  world,  is  my  rural  abode. 

A  mile  to  tlie  west  you  may  houses  discern ; 

But  here  quite  alone  stand  my  cottage  and  barn  ; 

And  around  it  are  sporting  the  flocks  and  the  herds, 

The  turkeys  and  chickens,  the  squirrels  and  birds. 

And  here  is  my  garden,  but  we'll  pass  and  not  heed  it; 

Like  my  heart,  'tis  uncultured— I've  neglected  to  weed  it. 

But  the  fields  and  the  orchards,  that  ask  not  my  care, 

Ai'e  teeming  with  good  fruit,  and  look  very  fair. 

See  yonder  the  ridge  and  the  wood-cover'd  hill, 

And  down  in  the  hollow  there  ripples  a  rill ; 

In  pleasing  meanders  it  plays  through  the  wood, 

Till  it  meets  and  unites  in  a  neighboring  flood. 

The  wide-spreading  meadow,  the  sweet-flowing  fountain. 

The  tall  dusky  forest,  the  high  lofty  mountain. 

The  steep  craggy  rock,  and  the  grove  and  the  brook, — 

The  prospect  is  pleasant  wherever  you  look. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY,  425 

On  all  sides  are  blooming  the  beauties  of  spring ; 
Clad  with  corn  and  with  clover,  the  vales  shout  and  sing; 
The  sweet-scented  briers  that  deck  this  green  bud, 
The  soft  fragrant  zephyrs  that  play  round  my  head, 
Tlie  sweet  little  songsters  that  carol  above. 
All,  all  I  have  uam'd  are  the  offspring  of  love ! 

Our  God's  name  is  Love,  and  love  is  his  nature. 
He  rules  us,  he  governs  all  worlds  and  each  creature. 
Whatever  he  formed  his  goodness  protects. 
And  his  tender  mercies  are  o'er  all  his  works. 
But  man  is  his  best  lov'd,  man's  nature  he  took; 
That  wonderful  story  we  read  in  his  Book, — 
How  for  us  he  suffer'd,  obey'd,  liv'd,  and  died, 
To  make  of  us,  rebels,  his  children  and  bride. 

And  now  to  this  Jesus,  whose  name  we  adore, 

Be  blessing,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and  power: 

To  Jesus — Jehovah,  the  Ancient  of  Days — 

Be  blessing,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and  praise.  , 

Two  natures  united  in  our  dearest  Lord, 

For  the  Word  was  made  flesh,  and  the  Word  it  was  God. 

He's  God  in  tlie  Father  and  God  in  the  Son, 

And  God  in  the  Spirit,  and  these  three  are  one ! 

Oh,  wonders  on  wonders !  what  myst'ry  is  here ! 

What  heights  and  what  depths  in  our  Jesus  appear! 

The  Creator  and  creature  in  unison  join  : 

How  blest  are  the  branches  of  Jesus  the  vine ! 

What  though  modern  Pliarisees  say  he's  not  God, 

And  treat  with  indignity  our  dearest  Lord, — 

Yet,  yet  it  is  written,  that  Jesus  the  Lamb, 

Is  God  over  all,  the  eternal  I  Am. 

Seducers  are  saying,  lo  !  liere,  and  lo !  there 

Is  Jesus  the  Saviour,  but  let  us  beware; 

For,  though  these  false  teacliers  will  many  deceive, 

Our  Jesus  forbids  us  their  lies  to  believe. 

The  things  are  f ultilling  that  Jesus  foretold, 

The  signs  of  his  coming  we  clearly  behold ; 

False  Christs  and  false  prophets  now  swarm  all  around, 

And  faith  uncorrupted  is  scarce  to  be  found ; 

Of  blaspliemous  errors,  behold  what  a  flood ! 

Denying  the  Saviour,  who  bought  them  with  blood ! 

But  Jesus  will  come  in  his  glory  ere  long. 

And  by  his  own  power  will  silence  each  tongue 

That  now  speaks  against  him,  perverting  his  word: 

On  such  daring  sinner  have  mercy,  dear  Lord! 

MY  COTTAGE. 

In  this  retreat,  remote  and  still, 

My  fav'rite  solitude  I  find; 
This  little  cot  beneath  the  hill 

H,aa  charms  congenial  to  my  mind. 

How  gracious,  Heaven,  art  thou  to  me. 

In  answ'ring  thus  my  early  prayers ; 
From  youth  I  ever  wished  to  be 

Far  from  the  world  and  all  its  cares. 


426 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

Far  from  the  world  of  noise  and  strife, 
With  quiet  here  I'll  pass  uiy  days ; 

In  this  sequester'd  vale  of  life, 
I've  found  that  peace  which  ne'er  decays. 

And  from  this  humble  shade  ere  long, 
To  heaven,  my  home,  I  hope  to  rise, 

Borne  on  the  balmy  wings  of  love, 
To  fairer  mansions  in  the  skies. 

There  Jesus  sits,  that  God  of  love ! 

His  glorious  throne  's  exalted  high ; 
Though  once  he  groan'd  and  bled  and  died 

To  save  such  guilty  worms  as  I. 

And  is  it  not  worth  dying  for, 
To  see  my  Heavenly  Father's  face. 

Who  sav'd  me  from  destruction's  jaws, 
And  bid  me  seek  superior  bliss? 

A  FRAGMENT. 

THE  PEN. 

"How  great  is  my  use  !"  cries  the  quill  of  a  goose; 

"  Who  duly  my  merits  appraise? 
My  praises  resound  the  world  all  around, 

I  make  even  fools  to  be  wise." 

THE  NEEDLE. 

"  Hold !  liold !  prating  goose,  for  I'm  of  most  use, 

Although  I  am  shorter  and  slimmer ; 
By  my  little  head  many  thousands  are  fed. 

Whilst  your  scribble  won't  purchase  a  dinner." 

THE  WHEEL. 

"  And  what  were  your  head  were  it  not  for  my  thread  ? 
So,  then,  independent  Miss  Steel, 
Just  acknowledge  thy  due  to  the  wheel." 

THE  LOOM. 

"And  what  were  your  worth  were  it  not  for  my  cloth?" 

The  loom,  looking  largely,  replied. 
"Both  needle  and  thread  might  beg  for  their  bread. 

If  I  did  not  keep  them  employed." 

THE  AXE. 

Mr.  Axe  raised  his  head,  and  to  them  he  said,— 

"  Come,  yield  the  precedence  to  me ; 
For  to  me  you  must  know  your  being  you  owe. 

For  I  hewed  you  out  of  the  tree." 

In  this  dispute  among  the  tools. 
We  see  how  much  we  look  like  fools 
AVhen  pride  begins  to  swell  and  rise, 
And  makes  us  great  in  our  own  eyes. 
Shall  human  tools  contend  with  God, 
And  boast  as  if  they  were  no  wood  ? 
We  are  his  clay,  formed  by  his  hand, 
For  his  own  use,  at  his  command. 
Let  not  curst  pride  our  hearts  deceive, 
For  what  have  we  we've  not  received? 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  42T 

PEAKSON,    NATHAN, 

Son  of  Nathan  Pearson,  was  born  in  Boscawen,  22  Sept.,  1802. 
He  had  no  special  advantages  for  obtaining  an  education,  being 
limited  to  the  meagre  instruction  furnished  by  the  district  school. 
He  married  Eliza  Couch,  daughter  of  John  Couch,  of  Salisbury, 
and  settled  on  the  homestead  now  owned  by  Ephraim  Little. 
Mr.  Pearson  was  a  man  of  few  words,  who  did  his  own  thinking, 
and  was  independent  in  his  opinions.  He  was  a  good  friend 
and  citizen,  a  constant  attendant  upon  public  worship,  and  en- 
deavored to  supply,  by  reading  and  observation,  the  lack  of  oppor- 
tunities for  education  in  his  early  years.  He  was  elected  select- 
man in  1841  and  1842,  and  representative  in  1843  and  1844. 
Upon  the  division  of  the  town,  he  was  elected  chairman  of  the 
board  of  selectmen  for  Webster.     He  died  8  Oct.,  1868. 

PECKER,  J.  E.,   COL., 

Por  several  years  a  citizen  of  Boscawen,  is  a  son  of  the  late  Jere- 
miah Pecker,  Jr.,  and  great  grandson  of  Capt,  John  Chandler, 
and  was  born  in  East  Concord,  28  May,  1838.  He  attended  the 
Franklin  Hall  school  in  Concord,  and  graduated  from  tlie  Chand- 
dler  Scientific  Department  of  Dartmouth  college  in  1858.  Sub- 
sequently he  engaged  in  teaching,  and  for  a  number  of  years  was 
principal  of  the  Eisherville  high  school.  He  then  read  law,  but 
abandoned  the  idea  of  that  profession  to  become  a  correspondent 
and  reporter  of  the  Boston  Journal,  upon  which  paper  he  has 
been  regularly  employed  since  1862. 

In  1865  he  was  historian  in  the  military  department  of  the 
state  government,  and  aided  largely  in  the  preparation  of  the 
extended  reports  issued  that  year  by  the  adjutant-general. 

He  is  now  manager  of  the  New  Hampshire  News  Bureau  of 
the  Boston  Journal^  having  charge  of  its  interests  in  this  state. 
As  a  newspaper  correspondent,  he  has  travelled  extensively  in 
Canada  and  the  provinces,  and  in  the  Western  and  Southern 
states. 

In  1877  he  was  commissioned  aide-de-camp  on  the  military  staff 
of  Gov.  Prescott,  with  the  rank  of  colonel.  He  is  biographical 
secretary  of  the  Chandler  Alumni  Association  of  Dartmouth 
college. 


428  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

PETERSON,    DAXIEL,    M.    D. 

The  first  physician  in  Boscawen  was  Dr.  Daniel  Peterson,  who 
built  the  house  afterwards  occupied  by  Benjamin  Oak  and  by 
James  West  as  a  hotel,  and  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Dow.  He 
moved  into  town  about  1770,  and  was  a  surgeon  in  the  Bennington 
and  other  campaigns.  He  was  a  physician  of  the  old  school ; — 
indeed,  there  was  no  other  school.  Bleeding,  blistering,  cup- 
pings, calomel,  and  jalop  were  its  characteristics.  The  "  school  " 
believed  in  an  active  treatment. 

Dr.  Peterson  had  an  extensive  practice  in  Boscawen,  Salisburj^, 
Sanbornton,  Canterbury,  Warner,  Wilmot,  and  other  towns,  rid- 
ing as  far  north  as  Haverhill,  always  on  horseback,  with  his  sad- 
dle-bags stuffed  with  medicines. 

He  married  a  sister  of  Nathaniel  Greene,  Esq.,  and  was  uncle  to 
the  late  Senator  Fessenden. 

One  of  his  fellow-physicians  was  Dr.  Long,  of  Hopkinton. 
Together  Drs.  Peterson  and  Long  rode  to  Haverhill,  N.  H.,  and 
were  present  at  the  execution  of  a  negro  who  had  committed  a 
heinous  crime,  and  who  had  sold  his  body  to  the  two  physicians 
for  dissection.  Dr.  Long  skinned  the  body  after  the  execution,  had 
the  skin  tanned,  and  a  pair  of  boots  made  from  it.  Dr.  Peterson, 
from  his  service  in  the  army,  became  widely  known,  and  was 
regarded  as  one  of  the  best  surgeons  of  his  time. 

PILLSBURY,    JOSEPH    L.,    COL., 

Son  of  Dea.  Joseph  and  Martha  (Little)  Pillsbury,  was  born  in 
Boscawen,  N.  H.,  10  Feb.,  1829.  At  the  age  of  twelve  years  he 
accomp^,nied  his  father  to  Pennsylvania,  where  he  spent  one  sum- 
mer with  a  surveying  party,  acting  as  chain-bearer.  He  was 
not  a  robust  youth,  but  life  in  the  woods  improved  his  health, 
and  he  early  matured  to  a  vigorous  manhood. 

At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  displayed  a  military  spirit,  making 
himself  familiar  with  tactics  and  drill  exercises.  At  eighteen  he 
was  captain,  and  at  twenty-one  was  colonel  of  the  21st  N.  H.  Regi- 
ment. He  commenced  the  study  of  medicine,  which  he  soon  af- 
ter abandoned,  and  in  1851  went  to  Pittsburgh,  where  for  about 
three  years  he  acted  as  paymaster  of  the  Ohio  &  Pennsylvania 
Railroad.     Possessing  a   mathematical  and   scientific    mind,    he 


1^_ 


<^  . 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  429 

qualified  himself  for  the  duties  of  civil  engineer,  which  calling 
he  followed  for  about  twenty  years. 

In  1854  Col.  Pillsbury  commenced  as  contractor  and  builder  of 
railroads  in  the  South  and  West,  doing  an  extensive  business 
on  the  Mobile  &  Girard,  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago,  and  also  on  a 
road  running  west  from  Dubuque,  Iowa.  Associated  with  him  in 
part  of  these  contracts  was  his  brother,  Henry  W.  Pillsbury. 

Subsequently  Col.  Pillsbury  was  engaged  in  the  oil  business 
in  eastern  Ohio  and  western  Pennsylvania,  where  a  number  of  oil 
wells  were  bored  by  him.  He  was  also  superintendent  of  the 
Deep  Oil  Mining  Company,  in  northern  Ohio. 

Col.  Pillsbury  excelled  as  a  hydraulic  engineer.  His  first  im- 
portant work  in  this  direction  was  the  building  of  the  Canton 
(Ohio)  water-works,  in  1869,  '70.  He  was  also  advising  hydravilic 
engineer  for  various  cities  in  the  West. 

The  last  great  labor  of  his  life  was  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  where 
in  1870  he  was  employed  as  chief  engineer  to  su^^ply  that  cap- 
ital with  water  from  the  Scioto  river.  During  the  progress  of  this 
enterprise  his  health  was  seriously  impaired,  and  soon  after  its 
successful  completion  he  returned  with  his  son  and  daughter  to 
Boscawen,  where  he  died,  10  Jan.,  1874. 

Col.  Pillsbury  was  a  man  of  positive  character,  indomitable  en- 
ergy, and  of  great  nobility  and  kindness  of  heart.  In  writing,  he 
had  the  happy  faculty  of  exjiressing  himself  Avith  fluency,  and 
to  the  point.  From  his  youth  he  was  an  extensive  reader 
of  books  that  required  thought,  whether  in  j)oetry  or  prose  ;  was  a 
diligent  student,  and  greatly  interested  in  mechanical  and  scien- 
tific pursuits.  In  the  study  of  geology  he  took  great  delight,  and 
in  this,  as  well  as  in  other  departments  of  science,  his  mind  was 
a  rich  storehouse  of  useful  and  interesting  facts.  He  invented 
several  valuable  improvements  pertaining  to  his  various  fields 
of  labor,  and  secured  a  patent  on  a  hydrant  for  city  water-works. 

Col.  Pillsbury  was  an  active  and  esteemed  member  of  the  Epis- 
copal church,  at  Canton,  Ohio,  and  was  always  ready  to  do  his 
part  in  every  good  word  and  work.  He  married,  18  May,  1854, 
Mary  Anna  Ely,  of  Wooster,  Ohio,  daughter  of  Col.  Daniel  Ely, 
of  Owego,  K.  Y.  She  died  at  Delaware,  Ohio,  18  Aug.,  1867. 
[See  Gen.] 


430  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 


PILLSBURY,  MOODY    A.,  GEJf. 

Gen.  Moody  Adams  Pillsbury,  son  of  Daniel  and  Eunice 
(Thorla)  Pillsbury,  was  born  in  Boscawen,  4  May,  1794.  His 
educational  advantages,  like  those  of  most  boys  of  his  time,  were 
those  of  the  district  school.  Upon  arriving  at  his  majority  he 
settled  in  Bashan,  upon  the  farm  where  he  lived  through  life, 
giving  more  attention  to  his  saw-mill  than  to  his  farm.  Bashan 
was  a  new  section,  densely  timbered,  and  his  mills  became  a 
source  of  profit. 

He  became  an  officer  in  the  militia,  was  colonel  of  the  21st 
Eegiment  for  several  years,  and  rose  to  the  rank  of  brigadier- 
general. 

Gen.  Pillsbury  took  an  active  interest  in  the  events  of  his 
time.  He  was  a  constant  attendant  upon  the  public  religious  ser- 
vices of  the  Sabbath,  gave  liberally  to  the  support  of  benevolent 
objects,  and  was  long  a  member  of  the  church.  He  was  one  of 
the  first  to  espouse  anti-slavery  principles,  and  gave  to  the 
cause  of  freedom  his  whole  heart.  He  was  a  kind  neighbor,  a 
friend  to  the  poor,  and  a  genial  companion.  He  married,  first, 
Miss  Rachel  Dix,  sister  of  Gen.  John  A.  Dix  ;  second.  Miss  Louisa 
Frances  Dix,  her  sister.     He  died  8  Jan.,  1863. 

PILLSBURY,    GEORGE    T., 

Son  of  Daniel  Pillsbury,  was  born  in  the  house  now  occupied  by 
Miss  Sarah  Pillsbury,  on  Water  street.  He  learned  his  father's 
trade — that  of  carpenter — and  built  the  house  near  the  school- 
house,  on  Little  hill,  where  he  resided  a  few  3'ears.  He  erected  many 
buildings  in  Concord,  and  began  the  erection  of  the  South  Congre- 
gational meeting-house  in  that  town  in  1835,  in  partnership  with 
Capt.  Wm.  Abbott.  He  received  an  injury  in  one  of  his  legs, 
which  was  followed  by  mortification  and  death  in  1836.  He  was 
a  man  of  decided  convictions,  and  active  in  all  matters  relat- 
ing to  religion  and  temperance.  He  was  elected  deacon  of  the 
church  in  Webster,  to  succeed  Dea.  Enoch  Little,  2d.  His 
death  cast  a  gloom  upon  the  community,  and  his  funeral  was 
notably  one  of  the  largest  ever  attended  in  Webster.  He  died 
as  he  had  lived,  in  the  full  triumph  of  Christian  faith. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  431 

PRICE,    EBENEZER,    REV., 

The  first  pastor  of  the  Congregational  cliureli  in  Webster,  was 
born  in  Newburyport,  14  Sept.,  1771,  and  was  the  youngest  child 
of  William  Price  [see  Gen.].  His  parents,  from  his  birth,  de- 
signed that  he  should  receive  a  collegiate  education.  He  began 
his  preparatory  studies  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  in  Moore's  Charity 
School,  Hanover,  then  under  the  tuition  of  Rev.  Daniel  Dana.  He 
entered  Dartmouth  in  1789,  and  graduated  in  1793.  His  sister 
had  married  Rev.  Mr.  Hidden,  of  Tamworth,  with  whom  he  passed 
several  months  after  graduating,  where  he  made  a  public  profes- 
sion of  religion,  24  Aug.,  1794.  Deciding  to  enter  the  ministry, 
he  placed  himself  under  the  theological  instruction  of  Rev.  Elihu 
Thayer,  d.  d.,  of  Kingston.  He  was  licensed  to  preach,  January, 
1795,  by  the  Deerfield  association  of  ministers,  and  began  his  labor 
as  a  minister  of  the  gospel  in  Belfast,  Me.,  March,  1796,  and  was 
ordained  pastor  of  the  church  in  that  place  on  the  26th  of  Decem- 
ber following.  He  was  married  20  Jan.,  1799,  to  Miss  Lucy 
Farrer.  eldest  daughter  of  Humphrey  and  Lucy  Farrer,  of  Hano- 
ver, ]Sr.  H.  He  remained  in  Belfast  till  the  22d  of  September, 
1802,  a  period  of  six  years. 

The  burning  of  the  meeting-house  at  the  east  end  of  Bos- 
cawen,  the  refusal  of  the  town  to  build  a  second  edifice,  and  the 
erection  of  a  building  by  a  society  on  the  Plain,  brought  about  an 
abnormal  state  of  affairs.  The  town  owned  the  frame  at  the 
West  end,  and  individuals  owned  the  pews.  There  was  no  church 
or  society.  At  the  invitation  of  the  citizens  of  this  section, 
Mr.  Price  began  his  labors.  His  preaching  was  followed  by  a 
manifest  increase  of  attention  to  religion  on  the  part  of  the 
people.  The  Westerly  Religious  Society  was  organized  in  Janu- 
ary, 1804,  and  a  church  of  eight  members  formed  the  10th  of 
September  following.  Mr.  Price  accepted  a  call  to  become  their 
pastor,  and  was  installed  on  the  26th  of  September.  He  main- 
tained this  pastoral  relation  thirty-three  years,  the  connection 
being  dissolved  by  mutual  council,  10  May,  1837. 

During  his  pastorate,  there  were  several  marked  seasons  of 
religious  interest.  The  whole  number  added  to  the  church  dur- 
ing his  pastorate  was  262.  The  greatest  number  in  any  one  year 
was  60,  in  1838.  The  greatest  number  of  members  on  the  church 
rolls  at  any  one  period  was  198. 


432  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

Mr.  Price  continued  to  reside  in  the  town,  and  became  superin- 
tendent of  the  Sahbath-school,  which  position  he  held  for  eleven 
years. 

Upon  the  formation  of  the  Granite  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Co., 
he  was  elected  secretary,  which  office  he  held  till  he  removed  to 
Boston,  in  1859,  to  live  with  his  eldest  son,  Ebenezer  Sewell  Price, 
where  he  died  in  1863,  aged  92. 

He  took  a  lively  interest  in  every  benevolent  or  other  move- 
ment looking  to  the  welfare  of  the  community.  He  was  a  genial 
man,  a  perfect  gentleman,  respecting  the  rights  of  all,  and  exceed- 
ingly courteous.  He  dignified  his  office  as  a  minister  of  the  gos- 
pel, and  adorned  it  by  an  exemplary  life.  Those  most  prejudiced 
against  religion  could  find  no  word  of  fault  against  it  on  account 
of  any  dereliction  of  duty  on  his  part.  Being  one  of  the  super- 
intending school  committee  from  1809  to  1835,  he  became  ac- 
quainted with  nearly  all  the  children  in  town ;  and  if  they  stood 
in  awe  of  him  on  account  of  his  official  position,  they  learned  to 
love  and  respect  the  man  who  placed  his  hands  on  their  heads 
so  benignantly,  smiled  so  genially,  and  overlooked  their  short- 
comings in  the  kindness  of  his  nature. 

He  was  fond  of  riding  on  horseback,  and  no  gentleman  of  the 
old  school  ever  sat  more  gracefully  than  he  in  the  saddle. 

He  was  settled  in  town  at  a  time  when  liberty  gave  place  to 
license,  when  there  was  an  uprising  of  some  of  the  worst  elements 
in  society;  and  in  the  middle  period  of  his  ministry  came  the 
struggle  for  possession  of  the  West  meeting-house.  But  those 
who  dissented  from  his  religious  opinions  respected  him  as  a  man, 
and  welcomed  him  heartily  to  their  homes.  His  influence  was 
ever  on  the  side  of  law  and  order,  justice  and  right.  After  his 
retirement  from  the  ministry,  his  fellow-citizens  manifested  their 
regard  for  him  by  twice  electing  him  to  represent  them  in  the 
legislature. 

In  1820  Mr.  Price  collected  materials  for  a  chronological  his- 
tory of  the  town.  Much  of  his  information  in  regard  to  the 
early  settlement  of  the  tow-n  Avas  obtained  from  George  Jack- 
man,  Esq.,  and  from  conversation  with  the  oldest  inhabitants. 
It  was  printed  in  1823,  by  Jacob  B.  Moore,  of  Concord.  The 
town  appropriated  fifty  dollars  as  compensation.  It  was  pub- 
lished  by  private    subscription.     His    sermons  preached  at  the 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  433 

funeral  of  Dea.  Benjamin  Sweatt,  and  upon  the  cleatli  of  Rev.  Dr. 
Wood,  were  published  by  request.     He  was  the  author  of  the  let- 
ter to  Hon.  Daniel  Webster,  which  elicited  his  reply  to  his  iSTew 
Hampshire   neighbors.     The  letter  and  repl}^  are  to  be  found  in  ■ 
the  published  cori-espondence  of  Mr.  Webster. 

His  relations  to  the  church  and  society,  and  especially  to  his 
successor  in  the  ministry,  Rev.  Edward  Buxton,  were  always  frater- 
nal and  helpful.  As  a  pastor,  he  was  ever  mindful  of  the  wants 
of  his  people,  sympathizing  with  them  in  their  bereavements  and 
afflictions,  and  entering  as  heartily  into  all  their  joys.  He  was  so 
mindful  of  all  classes,  that  in  his  public  prayers  "  the  aged,  the 
middle-aged,  the  young,  the  youth,  the  infants,"  were  all  remem- 
bered. His  desire  to  leave  nothing  undone,  to  neglect  no  class, 
to  fill  the  full  measure  of  his  own  responsibility,  not  infrequently 
made  his  prayers  and  sermons  of  u:ndue  length.  On  special  occa- 
sions his  prayers  sometimes  exceeded  his  sermons  in  length,  occu- 
pying from  fifty  to  seventy  minutes. 

In  this  respect  he  did  not  stand  alone.  In  tlie  ministry  at  that 
period,  brevity  was  the  exception,  length  the  rule.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  the  century,  people  expected  a  service  to  occupy  at  least 
two  hours.  During  the  short  days  of  winter,  those  who  lived 
farthest  from  meeting  sometimes  saw  the  sun  disappear  behind 
the  Warner  hills  before  they  reached  home.  Nor  were  they  rest- 
less under  a  sermon  that  occupied  an  hour  in  the  delivery.  They 
expected  a  long  sermon,  and  would  have  found  fault  with  the 
brevity  of  the  sermon  of  the  present  day. 

His  last  years  were  marked  by  serene  peace  and  composure.  He 
was  an  attendant  at  Mount  Vernon  church,  in  Boston,  and  listened 
with  delight  to  the  preaching  of  Rev.  Dr.  Kirlc,  who  looked  upon 
him  as  a  father  in  the  ministry.  His  influence  for  good  never 
can  be  measured,  for  under  his  preaching  such  men  as  Rev. 
Enoch  Corser,  and  Revs.  Jacob  and  Henry  Little,  were  led  to 
enter  the  ministry ;  and  through  their  instrumentality  thousands 
have  been  brought  to  a  religious  life. 

The  night  before  his  death.  Father  Price  called  his  son  Sewell 
and  wife  to  his  bedside,  and,  taking  their  hands  in  his,  thanked 
them  for  their  continued  kindness  to  him,  and  trusted  tliat  in 
their  last  days  they  might  be  cared  for  as  tenderly.  Sewell  asked 
his  father  how  he  felt  in  regard  to  death.  ''  Oh  !  that  was  all  fixed 
28 


434  BIOGRAPHICAL   HISTORY, 

years  and  years  ago.  I  committed  myself  into  the  hands  of  my 
Maker :  he  has  taken  care  of  me  hitherto,  and  I  liave  no  fears  for 
the  future." 

Rev.  Jacob  Little,  in  a  sermon  preached  in  Granville,  Ohio, 
and  published  in  the  Church  Union,  20  May,  1876,  thus  alludes 
to  Rev.  Mr.  Price  : 

"  *  *  A  good  man  never  dies.  His  good  works  follow 
him,  and  he  lives  in  them. 

"  Ready  to  return  from  a  New  England  visit,  I  called  to  say  good-by 
to  my  pastor,  who  had  outlived  his  years  of  preaching.  With  tearful 
eyes  he  said, — '  I  shall  never  see  you  again.  You  will  again  visit  your 
friends,  but  before  that  time  I  shall  die.'  Wishing  to  cheer  him,  I  re- 
plied,— '  Mr.  Price,  you  will  never  die.  I  have  received  from  you  doc- 
trines, precepts,  feelings,  and  ways  of  doing  good,  and  in  central  Ohio 
am  impressing  them  on  a  great  people.  Sabbath  teachers  and  preach- 
ers are  coming  up  in  my  congregation  to  scatter  what  I  have  received 
from  your  lips,  and  pass  it  to  the  next  generation.  In  Indiana,  Bro. 
Henry  is  doing  the  same  thing  on  a  larger  scale,  and  so  are  others  who 
have  gone  from  your  congregation.  What  you  have  taught  by  exam 
pie  and  precept  is  spreading  wider  and  wider,  and  going  to  the  second 
and  third  generations,  and  will  ever  keep  going,  so  that  you  will  never 
die.'  " 

ROGERS,    JOHN,    M.    D. 

Maj.  William  Rogers  was  born  in  Newbury,  Mass.,  1741,  and 
married  Abigail  Worth  of  the  same  town.  He  was  a  lineal  de- 
scendant of  John  Rogers,  who  was  burned  at  the  stake  in  Smith- 
field  in  1555.  He  was  drowned  at  the  mouth  of  Merrimack  river, 
25  Sept.,  1786.     They  had  five  children. 

John  was  born  24  May,  1787,  at  jSTewburyport,  Mass.  His 
mother  married  Moody  Chase,  and  moved  to  Chester,  E".  H. 
Before  preparing  for  college,  he  learned  the  art  of  dressing  cloth 
of  William  Hesalton,  of  Suncook.  He  graduated  at  Dartmouth, 
1816,  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  Chadbourne,  of  Concord,  grad- 
uated from  the  Medical  Department  of  Dartmouth  college  in 
1819,  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Chester,  and  re- 
moved to  Boscawen  in  1821  or  1822.  He  lived  in  the  large  dwell- 
ing-house (shown  in  the  cut)  near  the  church,  where  he  practised 
medicine  until  his  death,  5  Jan.,  1830.  He  married  Sarah, 
daughter  of  Caleb  Knight,  of  Boscawen,  in  May,  1825.      Their 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  435 

children  were, — Sarah,  born  23  Sejjt.,  1826,  married  W.  H.  Har- 
low, of  Everett,  Mass. ;  John,  born  23  Sept.,  1826,  died  Sep- 
tember, 1828  ;  Abbie,  born  6  Feb.,  1828,  who  resides  with  her 
sister. 

SAKGEXT,    WALTER    H., 

Son  of  Isaac  and  Rebecca  (Farnum)  Sargent,  was  born  in  Bos- 
cawen  in  1825.  He  enlisted  in  1862,  in  Co.  D,  14th  N.  H.  Eegi- 
ment,  was  appointed  sergeant,  and  on  account  of  a  fracture  of  one 
of  his  legs  was  appointed  recruiting  officer,  and  enlisted  fourteen 
soldiers  from  Webster  and  vicinity.  The  regiment  was  on  duty 
along  the  Potomac  during  the  fall  and  winter  of  1862-3,  and  he 
was  detailed  at  Georgetown  to  prevent  the  smuggling  of  liquor 
and  other  contraband  articles  into  camp,  a  position  requiring  the 
closest  scrutiny  and  circumspection. 

From  Georgetown  he  was  detailed  with  fifty-seven  men  to  do 
guard  duty  at  the  old  capitol  prison.  It  was  in  midsummer.  The 
officers  and  soldiers  were  ordered  to  appear  at  all  times  in  regula- 
tion dress,  an  order  of  the  regulation  martinet,  who  sacrificed  the 
health  of  the  detachment  to  sustain  military  red-tape.  Broken 
down  in  health,  Lieut.  Sargent  was  ordered  to  New  Hampshire 
upon  recruiting  service,  where  he  remained  till  the  last  of  January, 
1864. 

While  on  duty  near  Harper's  Ferry  he  fell  upon  the  ice  and 
injured  one  of  his  legs — one  that  had  previously  been  broken — 
which  became  exceedingly  painful.  While  suffering  from  the 
fall,  he  commanded  a  scouting  party  of  twenty  men,  reconnoiter- 
ing  the  country  as  far  south  as  Snicker's  Gap. 

On  the  20tli  of  March,  1864,  the  regiment  sailed  from  New 
York,  on  steamer  Daniel  Webster,  for  New  Orleans.  The  vessel 
came  near  foundering  in  a  terrific  storm,  which  carried  away 
wheel-houses  and  bulwarks.  The  steam-pipe  burst.  The  steamer, 
however,  reached  Hilton  Head,  was  refitted,  and  the  regiment 
finally  reached  Carrollton,  a  suburb  of  New  Orleans,  Aj)ril  12. 
After  service  on  the  Mississippi  the  regiment  returned  to  Fortress 
Monroe,  joined  the  army  under  Gen.  Grant  at  Petersburg,  was 
joined  to  the  14th  Army  Corps,  sent  to  the  Shenandoah,  and  was 
in  the  battle  of  Perryville,  in  the  thick  of  the  fight.  The  regi- 
ment charged  across  an  open  field,  driving  the  enemy.     A  rebel 


436  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

fired  at  Lieut.  Sargent  from  behind,  a  tree,  Liit  missed  him  ;  where- 
upon Lieut.  Sargent  rushed  ujjon  him,  and  the  man  threw  down 
his  gun,  and  surrendered.  A  second  rebel  drew  up  his  gun  to 
fire,  but  a  stroke  from  the  lieutenant's  sword  induced  him  to 
change  his  mind,  and  both  were  brought  into  the  lines  prisoners. 
In  the  retreat  which  the  regiment  was  compelled  to  make,  Lieut, 
Sargent  was  knocked  down  by  a  piece  of  shell.  In  the  melee 
which  followed  the  charge  of  the  enemy,  he  was  wounded  in  the 
arm,  Avhile  a  second  bullet  struck  him  above  the  right  eye.  His 
clothes  were  riddled,  and  he  fell  forward  upon  his  face.  The 
enemy  rushed  over  him.  A  rebel  surgeon  came  to  take  his  sword. 
Lieut.  Sargent  gave  him  his  revolver,  but  refused  to  surrender 
liis  sword  except  to  an  officer  of  tlie  line.  The  surgeon  took  him 
to  a  major,  and  the  sword  was  given  up. 

With  other  prisoners  he  was  taken  up  the  Shenandoah  valley. 
Watching  an  opportunity  he  secreted  himself  in  the  bushes  at 
night,  but  was  discovered.  He  ran  through  a  piece  of  woods, 
gained  the  river,  plunged  in,  dived  beneath  a  pile  of  drift-wood, 
and  managed  to  get  his  head  above  the  water  amid  the  brush,  but 
was  discovered  and  delivered  to  the  provost  guard.  He  was  close- 
ly watched.  From  being  chilled  he  came  near  dying,  but  was 
compelled  to  march  day  after  day.  He  had  nothing  to  eat  for 
several  days  except  raw  corn,  and  a  bit  of  bread  which  a  rebel 
officer  gave  him  from  his  own  rations.  His  arm  was  fearfully 
swollen,  and  his  lame  leg  was  exceedingly  painful,  Avhile  his  feet 
were  worn  to  the  bone.  He  could  go  no  farther.  His  guard  or- 
dered him  to  move  on,  and  stated  that  his  orders  were  to  shoot 
him  if  he  did  not  move.  "  I  shall  not  move,  and  you  will  not  dare 
to  shoot  me,"  was  the  fearless  reply.  The  soldier  cocked  his  gun 
and  levelled  it,  but  did  not  dare  to  fire.  He  was  put  in  an  ambu- 
lance, taken  to  Libby  prison,  and  endured  its  horrors  till  7  Oct., 
when  he  was  paroled.  On  the  15th  of  January'  following,  he  was 
honorably  discharged. 

Lieut.  Sargent  resides  in  Bridgewater,  N.  H.  He  is  fond  of 
hunting,  and  is  renowned  for  his  success  in  that  line. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  437 


SHEPARD,    FOREST,    PROF. 

Prof.  Forest  Sliepard,  son  of  Daniel  and  Ann  (Forest)  Shep- 
ard,  was  born  in  Boscawen,  31  Oct.,  1800.  He  graduated  at 
Dartmoutli  college,  1827,  and  studied  theology  at  New  Haven. 

Prof.  Sliepard  early  manifested  a  love  for  science,  especially 
geology  and  mineralogy.  He  lias  been  connected  with  the  vari- 
ous geological  surveys  of  the  United  States  and  Canada,  and  his 
observations  have  been  extended  over  a  large  area.  In  Canada 
he  explored  the  region  occupied  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company. 
He  has  visited  England,  and  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  scien- 
tists of  that  country.  His  explorations  have  been  extended  to 
Panama,  Cuba,  New  Grenada,  Mexico,  and  California.  He  has 
made  many  important  discoveries  of  mines.  He  has  filled  the 
chair  of  natural  science  at  Western  Reserve  college,  Hudson,  Ohio, 
and  at  other  institutions.  He  married  Miss  Sophia  W.  Storer,  of 
Rutland,  Vt.     His  present  residence  is  in  Connecticut. 

STONE,   PETER. 

Dea.  Peter  Stone,  son  of  George  and  Hannah  (Lovering)  Stone, 
was  born  in  Boscawen,  19  Dec,  1799,  and  has  always  resided  upon 
the  old  homestead.  He  married  Ruth  Call,  daughter  of  Silas  Call, 
of  Boscawen.  He  was  an  active  member  and  officer  of  the  Cln-is- 
tian  church  and  society,  while  that  denomination  maintained  pub- 
lic worship,  and  when  emigration  and  change  made  it  impossible 
longer  to  sustain  a  church  of  his  order,  with  a  catholic  spirit  he 
became  an  attendant  upon  the  Congregational  church.  He  has 
been  an  exceedingly  industrious  man,  laboring  early  and  late,  not 
compelled  by  necessity,  but  doing  it  as  a  duty  and  pleasure,  carry- 
ing into  his  daily  life  the  scriptural  injunction,  *'  Whatsoever  thy 
hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  thy  might." 

STONE,    FREDERICK    P.,    CAPT. 

Capt.  Frederick  P.  Stone,  son  of  Peter,  was  born  24  March, 
1841.  He  remained  on  his  father's  farm  until  the  breaking  out 
of  the  war,  when  he  enlisted  in  the  cavalry  [see  Military  Hist.], 
Co.  1, 17  Dec,  18G1.  He  was  promoted  to  first  sergeant  1  March, 
1863,  reenlisted  5  June,  1864,  promoted  to  first  lieutenent  Co.  D, 


438 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 


15  April,  1864,  and  captain  10  June,  1865. 
lowing  engagements : 

Warrenton  Junction, 

Rappahannock, 

Cedar  Mountain, 

North  Rappahannock, 

Catlett  station, 

Rappahannock  station, 

Sulphur  spring, 

Groveton, 

Second  Bull  Run, 

Chantilly, 

White's  Ford, 

Mountville, 

Hazel  Run, 

Fredericksburg. 

Hartwood  church, 

Rapidan  river, 

Ellis  ford. 

Brandy  station, 

Middlebury, 

Warrenton, 

Auburn, 

Bristow  station. 


He  ^Yas  in  the  fol- 


16  April, 

1862, 

18      " 

" 

9  Aug., 

ii 

21      '"' 

it 

23      " 

ti 

26      " 

ii 

28      " 

a 

30     " 

a 

1  Sept., 

u 

12  Oct., 

u 

31     " 

u 

16  Nov., 

(1 

13  Dec, 

a 

25  Feb., 

1863. 

1  May, 

<( 

4     " 

u 

9  June, 

" 

17     '' 

it 

12  Oct., 

ii 

14      " 

(( 

14      " 

(( 

Some  of  these  engagements  were  between  small  parties,  others 
where  the  enemy  was  in  force.  At  Groveton,  a  valuable  horse 
which  Capt.  Stone  had  taken  from  Boscaw^en  was  shot  beneath 
him.  At  Chantilly  he  was  near  Gen.  Kearney  when  he  fell.  At 
Mountville  he  was  one  of  six  that  escaped,  out  of  a  party  of  sixty 
that  w^ere  captured.  At  Middlebury,  which  was  one  of  the  sharp 
cavalry  engagements  of  the  war,  he  was  taken  prisoner  and  im- 
mured in  Libby  prison,  Richmond,  and  at  Belle  Isle  was  kept  in 
durance  thirty-five  days. 

After  his  reenlistment  his  regiment  w-as  attached  to  Sheri- 
dan's command  in  the  valley  of  the  Shenandoah.  At  the  battle 
of  Winchester,  fought  21  Sept.,  1864,  he  was  again  captured, 
was  again  sent  to  Libby,  thence  to  Salisbury,  N.  C,  and  thence 
to  Danville,  Va.,  in  all,  five  months.  He  reached  Washing- 
ton in  season  to  join  the  corjps  that  hunted  down  the  assassins 


ry,^..,^  /P  c/^^^^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 


439 


who  were  engaged  in  the  plot  to  murder  President  Lincohi  and 
Secretary  Seward. 

He  was  mustered  out  of  service  15  July,  1865,  was  married  to 
Miss  Lovilla  Sanborn,  daughter  of  Joseph  K.  Sanborn,  of  Web- 
ster, and  sailed  for  California  22  Oct.,  1865,  since  which  time  he 
has  been  connected  with  the  great  publishing  house  of  Bancroft  & 
Co.,  of  San  Francisco,  holding  a  position  of  honor  and  profit,  en- 
joying in  a  great  degree  the  confidence  of  his  employers,  and  the 
respect  of  his  fellow-citizens. 

SULLIVAN,    MARIAN    M.,    MRS. 

She  was  daughter  of  Col.  Timothy  Dix.  After  his  death  she 
moved  to  Littleton,  Mass.,  where  she  married  John  W.  Sullivan, 
Esq.,  a  merchant  of  Boston.  During  her  early  married  life  she 
wrote  for  the  press,  particularly  for  the  New  England  Magazine, 
and  for  Mrs.  Hale's  Ladies'  Magazine.  She  early  gave  her  at- 
tention to  music,  and  became  a  teacher  of  the  piano-forte  and  guitar, 
and  a  composer  of  ballads.  The  "  Blue  Juniata  "  and  the  "  Field 
of  Monterey  "  became  immensely  popular.  Her  genius  for  musi- 
cal composition  led  to  the  publishing  of  two  volumes  of  music, — 
the  "Juniata  Ballads"  and  "Bible  Songs." 

Not  merely  as  a  writer  and  composer  will  she  be  remembered, 
but  as  a  woman  of  rare  virtues, — sweet,  gentle,  sympathetic,  quick 
in  her  perceptions  of  the  beautiful  in  nature,  keenly  alive  to  want 
and  suffering,  ever  ready  to  aid  where  help  and  sympathy  were 
needed,  visiting  the  homes  of  the  poor,  caring  for  the  widow  ai;id 
orphan.  By  such  virtues  as  these  she  endeared  herself  to  all.  Her 
death  occurred  in  1860. 

SMITH,    AMBROSE,    REV., 

Was  born  in  Ossipee  July  9,  1820,  son  of  John  and  Sally  (Am- 
brose) Smith.  He  graduated  at  Dartmouth,  1845,  studied  theol- 
ogy at  Andover,  graduating  there  in  1849.  He  was  ordained  as  a 
minister  at  Northfield,  9  Jul}^,  1850,  and  was  installed  at  Bos- 
cawen,  15  June,  1853.  He  died  in  office,  greatly  beloved  by  his 
people.  His  style  was  clear,  forcible,  and  impressive.  He  had 
great  excellence  of  character,  and  his  loss  was  deeply  felt.  He 
married  Cynthia  Maria  Edgerton,  of  Hartford,  Vt. 


440  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 


WEBSTER,    JOHN,    CAPT. 

One  of  the  proprietors  of  Boscawen,  Capt.  John  Webster,  was 
from  Kingston.  His  name  frequently  appears  on  the  proprietors' 
records.  He  took  an  active  part  in  promoting  their  interests. 
When  the  Indian  troubles  broke  out,  in  1745,  he  joined  Capt. 
John  Chandler's  company,  and  scouted  around  Penacook  and 
Contoocook,  in  midwinter,  from  21  Jan.  to  16  Feb. 

He  enlisted  in  Capt.  John  Goffe's  company,  1  Jan.,  1746,  and 
was  in  service  till  the  7th  of  April.  Dea.  Jesse  Flanders,  John 
Flanders,  Jr.,  and  Wm.  Corser  enlisted  in  the  same  comj^any  in 
March.     They  scoured  the  woods  all  the  country  round. 

In  1748  he  was  lieutenant  of  Cajit.  Goffe's  company  from  28 
May  to  5  Oct.  The  company  consisted  of  54  men,  and  kept  a 
vigilant  watch  of  the  frontier. 

In  1754  began  -what  is  known  as  the  French  and  Indian  war. 
The  Indians  began  hostilities  by  capturing  Nathaniel  Meloon's 
family  at  West  Stevenstown.  Gov.  Wentworth  at  once  ordered 
out  a  company,  and  gave  the  command  to  John  Webster,  whose 
energy,  efficiency,  and  experience  admirably  fitted  him  for  the 
place.  His  command  consisted  of  twenty  men,  who  served  about 
six  weeks, — returning  home  24  July.  The  next  week  the  Indians 
killed  Mrs.  Call  in  East  Stevenstown  (Franklin),  and  Gov.  Went- 
worth ordered  out  a  full  company  of  sixty-two  men,  under  Capt. 
Blanchard,  to  do  service  in  the  Merrimack  valley.  This  enabled 
Capt.  Webster  and  his  men  to  rest. 

In  1755  New  Hampshire  sent  a  regiment  of  six  hundred 
men,  under  Col.  Joseph  Blanchard,  of  Dunstable,  against  Crown 
Point.  In  this  expedition  Capt.  Webster  served  as  a  pi-ivate  in 
Capt.  Joseph  Eastman's  company.  This  was  the  regiment  that 
made  its  rendezvous  on  the  Webster  farm  at  South  Franklin,  and 
built  boats  to  pass  up  the  Merrimack  river  and  into  the  Connecti- 
cut by  water,  so  little  was  the  countiy  between  the  two  rivers 
known.  It  finally  marched  across  the  state  to  No.  4,  and  then  to 
Albany  and  Crown  Point. 

The  next  year,  1756,  another  expedition  was  sent  against  Crown 
Point,  and  the  energetic  John  AVebster  enlisted, — this  time  in 
Capt.  Doe's  company.     Col.  Meserve,  of  Portsmouth,  commanded 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  441 

the  regiment.  He  enlisted  1  May,  and  was  in  service  till  21 
Sept. 

In  1757  another  expedition  was  sent  out.  Col.  Meserve  was  ap- 
pointed a  second  time  to  the  command,  and  John  Webster  enlist- 
ed in  Capt.  Emery's  company. — serving  from  7  March  to  5  Nov. 
The  regiment  was  at  Fort  William  Henry  when  it  surrendered, 
and  suffered  terribly  in  the  massacre  that  took  place. 

Upon  the  close  of  the  war  Capt.  Webster  was  instrumental  in 
obtaining  a  charter  for  the  town,  and  was  one  of  the  first  select- 
men in  1760.     The  succeeding  year  he  was  chairman  of  the  lx)ard. 

The  proprietors  of  Stevenstown,  in  1759,  granted  him  one  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  for  the  building  of  a  saw-mill.  There  was  no 
obligation,  no  contract,  but  the  mill  was  built  on  Punch  brook, — 
on  land  owned  by  Ebenezer  Webster,  father  of  Ezekiel  and 
Daniel,  and  not  far  from  their  birthplace.  The  foundations  of 
the  dam  are  still  visible,  and  the  rude  stones  of  the  grist-mill  are 
still  lying  by  the  brook. 

Capt.  Webster  remained  a  citizen  of  Boscawen  till  about  1764, 
when  he  removed  to  Salisbury,  and  became  one  of  the  leading 
spirits  of  that  town,  as  he  had  been  of  Contoocook.  He  was  one 
of  its  best  citizens,  and  exercised  a  wide  influence  for  good.  The 
one  hundred  acres  of  land  granted  him  by  the  Stevenstowu 
proprietors  is  the  land  upon  which  tlie  West  village  in  Frank- 
lin is  now  located.     Capt.  Webster  died  in  1788,  aged  77. 

DANIEL    WEBSTER,  HOX., 

America's  greatest  statesman,  j^repared  for  college  and  began  his 
public  life  in  Boscawen.  He  was  a  citizen  of  the  town  for  about 
three  years,  identified  himself  with  its  interests,  voted  at  town- 
meeting,  paid  taxes,  enrolled  himself  as  a  member  of  the  religious 
society,  and  took  part  in  the  district  school  meetings.  It  was 
ever  a  pleasure  to  him  to  return  to  the  place,  not  alone  to  visit 
his  brother  Ezekiel,  but  to  renew  his  acquaintance  with  the  peo- 
ple. The  history  of  the  town  would  be  incomplete  if  no  allusion 
were  made  to  his  residence  here. 

He  came  to  Dr.  Wood's  in  Februar}-,  1797,  at  the  age  of  fifteen. 
He  had  been  to  Exeter  acadertiy,  where  he  had  spent  six  months, 
and  had  seen  a  little  of  the  world, — for  Exeter  was  the  capital,  and 


442  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

there  was  more  life  there  than  in  the  quiet  Salisbury  home.  Of 
his  residence  with  Dr.  Wood,  Mr.  Webster  thus  speaks  in  his 
autobiography : 

"  In  February,  1797,  my  father  carried  me  to  the  Rev.  Samuel  Wood, 
in  Boscawen,  and  placed  me  under  the  tuition  of  that  most  benevolent 
and  excellent  man.  On  the  way  to  Mr.  Wood's,  my  father  first  inti- 
mated to  me  his  intention  of  sending  me  to  college.  The  very  idea 
thrilled  my  whole  frame.  He  said  he  then  lived  but  for  his  children, 
and  if  I  would  do  all  I  could  for  myself  he  would  do  all  he  could  for 
me,  I  remember  that  I  was  quite  overcome,  and  my  head  grew  dizzy. 
The  thing  appeared  to  me  so  high,  and  the  expense  and  sacrifice  it  was 
to  cost  my  fatlier  so  great,  I  could  only  press  his  hands,  and  shed  tears. 
Excellent,  excellent  parent!  I  cannot  think  of  him  now  without  being 
a  child  again. 

"  Mr.  Wood  put  me  on  Virgil  and  Tally,  and  I  conceived  a  pleasure 
in  the  study  of  them,  especially  the  latter,  which  rendered  application 
no  longer  a  task.  With  what  vehemence  did  I  denounce  Catiline!  With 
what  earnestness  struggle  for  Milo!  In  the  spring  I  began  the  Greek 
grammar,  and  at  midsummer  Mr.  Wood  said  to  me, — '  I  expected  to 
keep  you  till  next  year;  but  I  am  tired  of  you,  and  I  shall  put  you  into 
college  next  month.'  And  so  he  did  But  it  was  a  mere  breaking-in.  I 
was  indeed  miserably  prepared,  both  in  Latin  and  Greek.  But  Mr. 
Wood  accomplished  his  promise,  and  I  entered  Dartmouth  college  as  a 
Freshman,  August,  1797.  At  Boscawen  I  found  a  circulating  library, 
and  read  many  of  its  volumes.  I  remember  especially  that  I  found 
Don  Quixote  in  the  common  translation,  and  in  an  edition,  as  I  think, 
of  three  or  four  duodecimo  volumes.  I  began  to  read  it,  and  it  is  liter- 
ally true  that  I  never  closed  my  eyes  till  I  had  finished  it;  nor  did  I 
lay  it  down  for  five  minutes,  so  great  was  the  power  of  that  extraordi- 
nary book  on  my  imagination." 

While  he  was  at  Dr.  Wood's,  his  father  sent  for  him  in  July,  to 
help  at  haying. 

"  My  father  put  me  to  work  to  turn  hay.  It  was  pretty  lonely  there, 
and  after  working  some  time  I  found  it  very  dull;  and  as  I  knew  ray 
father  was  gone  awa}\  I  walked  home,  and  asked  my  sister  Sally  if  she 
didn't  want  to  go  and  pick  some  whortleberries.  She  said  yes.  So  I  went 
and  got  the  horses,  put  the  side-saddle  on  one  of  them,  and  we  set  off. 
We  did  not  get  home  till  pretty  late,  and  I  soon  went  to  bed.  When 
my  father  came  home  he  asked  my  mother  where  I  was,  and  what  I  had 
been  about.  She  told  him.  The  next  morning,  when  I  awoke,  I  saw 
all  my  clothes  that  I  had  brought  from  Dr.  Wood's  tied  up  in  a  small 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY, 


443 


bundle  again.  When  I  saw  my  father,  he  asked  me  how  I  liked  hay- 
ing. I  told  him  I  found  it  pretty  dull  and  lonesome.  '  Well,'  said  he, 
'  I  believe  you  may  as  well  go  back  to  Dr.  Wood's.'  So  I  took  my 
bundle  under  my  arm,  and  on  my  way  met  Thomas  ^Y.  Thompson,  a 
lawyer  in  Salisbury.  He  laughed  heartily  when  he  saw  me.  '  So,' 
said  he,  '  your  farming  is  over,  is  it?'  " 

A  yoinig  man  named  David  Palmer,  a  senior  of  Dartmouth  col- 
lege, was  employed  by  Dr.  Wood  to  teach  him  Greek.  He  had 
less  than  six  weeks  to  prepare  in. 

Mr.  Palmer  was  from  Windham,  Conn.,  studied  theology,  and 
was  minister  at  Townsend,  Mass.,  from  1800  to  1831.  He  died 
in  1849. 

During  the  spring  and  summer  months,  while  keeping  np  his 
studies,  getting  so  far  in  advance  of  his  associates  that  Dr.  Wood 
was  "  tired  "  of  him,  Daniel  found  time  to  visit  Mill  brook,  with 
his  fish-hook  and  line,  and,  cutting  fin  alder  for  a  rod,  obtain  fine 
strings  of  trout,  which  doubtless  were  always  acceptable  at  Dr. 
Wood's  table. 

He  wrote  thus  in  regard  to  his  college  life  : 

"  My  college  life  was  not  an  idle  one.  I^esides  the  regular  attendance 
on  prescribed  duties  and  studies,  I  read  something  of  English  history 
and  English  literature.  I  even  paid  my  board  for  a  year  by  superin- 
tending a  little  weekly  newspaper,  and  making  selections  for  it  from 
books  of  literature  and  from  the  contemporary  publications."' 

Prom  Benjamin  Clark,  who  -was  in  college  with  Daniel,  we 
learn  that  collegians  then  were  not  much  different  from  collegians 
of  all  time — ever  ready  to  play  pranks  upon  the  faculty  and  upon 
each  other.  There  were  strong  ties  between  Daniel  and  his  asso- 
ciates, so  enduring  that  practical  jokes  never  sundered  them.  It 
is  related  that  these  friends  and  brothers,  as  they  called  them- 
selves, occupied  adjoining  rooms,  and,  in  order  to  facilitate  social 
enjoyments  without  the  cognizance  of  the  Paculty,  so  fixed  the 
panels  in  the  ceiling  that  there  was  free  jD^ssage  from  room  to 
room. 

"  They  had  all  things  in  common.  The  first  to  rise  in  the  morning 
dressed  himself  in  the  best  which  the  united  apartments  afforded,  and 
so  of  the  rest  successively ;  but  woe  to  the  latest  riser,  whose  equip- 
ments might  have  been  furnished  at  Rag  Fair!  " 

Mr.  Clark,  who   was   from   Princeton,   Mass.,   who   afterwards 


444  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

lived  in  New  York,  and  was  known  as  the  "  Honest  Quaker,"  was 
the  fortunate  possessor  of  a  new  beaver  hat  which  cost  some  eight 
or  ten  dollars,  and  was  the  envy  of  the  college.  One  day  it  was 
missing.  He  searched  high  and  low,  but  could  not  find  it.  He 
found  an  old  slouch  felt  hat,  which  lie  was  obliged  to  wear.  Sev- 
eral Aveeks  passed.  Daniel  Webster  was  absent  from  college, 
keeping  school.  He  returned  at  length,  and  with  him  came  the 
beaver  hat,  whicli  he  had  borrowed  for  a  few  weeks  !  He  and 
Clark  shook  hands  over  the  joke,  and  were  better  friends  than 
ever. 

Mr.  Webster  graduated  in  August,  1801,  and  studied  law  with 
Mr.  Thompson,  of  Salisbury  (Franklin),  a  near  neiglibor.  His  first 
"  case  " — not  in  court,  but  outside  of  it — occurred  while  he  was 
with  Mr.  Thompson.  A  trader  in  New  Chester  (Hill)  had  failed, 
and  his  Boston  creditors  thought  it  was  a  voluntary  suspen- 
sion, with  the  intention  of  making  money.  They  placed  their 
accounts  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Thompson,  who  sent  Daniel  to  Kew 
Chester  with  the  sheriff  to  investigate  affairs.  They  found  the 
store  closed — shutters  up  and  door  locked — and  a  process  served 
upon  the  goods.  Daniel  pondered  the  situation,  then  seized  a 
heavy  log  of  wood  and  hurled  it  against  the  door.  The  lock  gave 
way,  and  the  door  was  open.  He  was  careful  not  to  put  his  foot 
inside  the  door,  for  that  would  have  been  "breaking  and  enter- 
ing," a  criminal  affair  whicli  would  have  sent  him  to  Hopkinton 
jail  for  a  term  of  j^ears  ;  but  breaking  was  only  a  trespass,  a  mat- 
ter of  damage  to  the  door  and  lock,  an  affair  of  a  dollar  or  two. 
The  sheriff  could  not  batter  down  the  door.  That  would  be  mal- 
feasance of  office,  and  would  send  him  to  the  jail ;  but  seeing  the 
door  was  open  he  could  go  in,  and  serve  his  attachments.  It  is 
related  that  the  Boston  creditors  were  well  pleased  with  the  result. 

After  teaching  school  at  Fryeburg,  and  studying  in  Mr.  Gore's 
office,  in  Boston,  after  declining  the  tempting  offer  of  the  clerk- 
ship of  Hillsborough  county,  he  came  to  Boscawen,  in  March, 
1805,  and  opened  his  first  office,  in  the  house  now  occupied  by 
Mr.  Meader,  in  the  north-west  corner  chamber.  The  furniture 
consisted  of  a  pine  table,  a  few  shelves  for  books,  and  some  chairs. 
He  remained  in  Boscawen  till  September,  1807,  and  then  removed 
to  Portsmouth,  turning  over  his  business  to  his  brother  Ezekiel. 
How  many  cases  he  had  in   court  is  not  known.     At  the   April 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  445 

term,  1S07,  lie  liad  the  suit  of  Jacob  Martiu  against  Benjamin 
Carter,  for  debt.  IVIr.  Martin  was  a  shoemaker,  and  his  account 
runs  from  1802  to  1806  : 

"  Benjamin  Carter  to  Jacob  Martin  Dr 

1802  s  p 
Dec.             To  pare  of  shoes  for  your  Dafter  0 —  0 

To  pare  of  shoes  for  one  children  4 —  6 

To  Gaping  and  tapin  your  Boys'  shoes  3 —  6 

To  pare  of  shoes  for  your  Littel  gall  4 —  0 
January 

1803  to  mending  your  shoes  1 — 10 
Febry  to  mending  your  galls  shoes  2 —  6 
March          To  mending  mikels  shoes  3 —  9 

To  mending  your  shoes  3 —  0 

June            To  mending  pare  of  pumps  for  your  Dafter  4 —  6 
26     To   hoing  one  Day  3^  to  making  you  a  pare  of 

shoes  4  7 —  0 
To  Bushel  of  turnops  2*  to  pare  of  shoes  for 

yourself  9  11 —  0 

Nov              To  making  pai-e  of  shoes  for  your  Wife  11 —  0 
To    making  a  pare  of  shoes  for  Betsey  &  one 

pare  for  Naty  6 —  0 

To  making  a  pare  of  shoes  for  mik  3 —  0 

To  onions  7 — 6 — to  making  pare  of  shoes  3 — 6  11 —  0 

23    To  making  pare  of  shoes  for  you  3 —  6 

December  to  making  a  small  pare  of  shoes  2 —  4 

1804  to  making  you  a  pare  of  shoes  4 — 6,  to  mend- 

ing 1—3  .5—  9 

Aug  To  4  days  of  Mr  Conor  1—  0—  0 

to  mending  a  small  pare  of  shoes  1 —  6 

To  mending  miks  shoes  9 

•  To  making  your  gal  a  pare  of  shoes  3 —  9 

To  mending  your  Boots  1 —  4 

Kov  2          To  making  your  wife  a  pare  of  shoes  3 —  6 

To  Cash  4—  6 

To  mending  pare  of  shoes  2 —  6 

Jan  1805     to  making  your  wife  a  pare  of  shoes,  3 —  6 

to  mending  your  shoes,  3 —  0 

To  Baral  of  Cyder  9—  0 

To  making  Jeremiah  pare  of  shoes  4 —  0 

To  pare  of  shoes  for  Doley  5 —  0 

To  your  shoes  3 —  0 


446  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 


s 

P 

L  1895     To  mending  your  Wifes 

1— 

0 

To  galand  of  Cydar 

1— 

0 

to  half  Bushel  of  Corn 

o 

6 

G             To  keeping  your  mare 

5— 

6 

To  Quarter  Lam 

2 

7 

To  House  Rent 

1—16— 

0 

£10—12— 

5 

Erros  excepted 

Jacob 

Martin 

[In  Mr.  Webster's  -writing]  Dols 

35.41 

lo'h  April  1807 

for  service          23 

travel              9 

There  are  many  anecdotes  extant  of  Mr.  Webster  during  the 
two  and  a  half  years  he  resided  in  Boscawen.  He  loved  to  hunt 
and  fish.  He  knew  every  brook  and  pond,  the  best  places  for 
trout,  the  choicest  spots  among  the  lily-pads  for  pickerel. 

One  of  his  companions  on  his  hunting  expeditions  was  ISTehe- 
miah  Clark.  It  was  currently  reported  that  one  day,  while  gunning, 
a  gray  squirrel  secreted  himself  among  the  thick  foliage  of  a  tree, 
and  that  Clark  climbed  the  tree  to  rout  him  from  his  hiding-place. 

"  I  see  him,"  shouted  Webster,  from  the  ground,  raising  his 
gun  to  fire. 

"  Don't  you  slioot  me !"  said  Clark. 

"  No,  I  won't ;  5'ou  just  keep  still  and  I  will  bring  him  down." 

The  story  runs  that  the  charge  entered  Mr.  Clark's  knee,  and 
lamed  him  for  life,  which  probably  is  an  exaggeration.  It  is  quite 
probable  that  a  scattering  shot  hit  Clark,  but  his  lameness  arose 
from  other  causes.  Mr.  Webster  never  lost  his  friendship  for 
Clark,  but  was  accustomed  to  call  upon  him  whenever  he  visited 
Boscawen. 

While  a  citizen  of  the  town  he  had  a  volunteer  military  com- 
pany. At  that  period  a  large  business  was  done  in  the  mak- 
ing of  staves,  and  there  was  an  extensive  coopering  establish- 
ment on  the  west  side  of  King  street,  where  a  dozen  or  more  men 
were  employed.     These  were  Mr.  Webster's  soldiers,  with  others 


HJjr 


^^^^^^^5^   ^^^/^^^L^ 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  447 

on  the  street.     In  moonlight  evenings,  with  hoop-poles  for  weap- 
ons, they  were  marshalled  hy  the   young  law_yer,  then  twenty- 
four  years  of  age,   who  wlieeled,   marched,  and  countermarched 
them  up  and  down  the  street  to  the  music  of  the  fife  and  drum. 
About   the   time  of  his   coming  to   Boscawen,  he  sent  $85  to 

Boston  to  purchase  law  books,  by  a  Mr.  of  Salisbury,  who 

lost  the  money ;  but  Mr.  Webster  did  not  allow  the  loss  to 
trouble  him.  In  a  letter  to  Ezekiel,  he  writes,  under  date  of  April 
30,  1805,— 

"Mr. 's  family  felt  pretty  sensibly  Jonathan's  misfortune,  but 

I  believe  are  now  reconciled  to  it. 

"  Fol  de  dol,  dol  de  dol,  di  dol ; 
I'll  never  make  money  ray  idol ; 
Far  away  our  dollars  will  fly  all. 
With  ray  friend  and  my  pitcher 
I'ra  twenty  times  richer 
Than  if  I  raade  money  ray  idol — 
Fol  de  dol.  dol  de  dol,  di  dol !" 

On  the  30th  of  April  he  wrote  to  Ezekiel, — 

"  My  residence  here  is  tolerably  pleasant.  I  live  with  ]\Ir.  French 
[Mr.  Joel  French,  who  lived  in  the  one  story  house  north  of  the  present 
parsonage].  Some  little  business  is  done  here,  and  I  get  a  part.  In 
time,  perhaps,  I  shall  gratify  my  moderate  rational  wishes." 

To  his  classmate,  Mr.  Bingham,  at  Lempster,  he  writes  : 

"  Boscawen,  May  4,  1805. 
"Dear  Bingham:  You  must  know  that  I  have  opened  a  shop  in  this 
village  for  the  manufacture  of  justice  writs.  Other  mechanics  do  pretty 
well  here,  and  I  am  determined  to  try  my  luck,  among  others.  March 
25, 1  left  Boston  with  a  good  deal  of  regret,  I  assure  you.  I  was  then 
bound  for  Portsmouth,  but  I  found  my  father  extremely  ill,  and  little 
fit  to  be  left  by  all  his  sons;  and,  therefore,  partly  through  duty,  partly 
througli  necessity,  and  partly  through  choice,  I  concluded  to  make  my 
stand  here.  Some  little  business  is  doing  in  this  neighborhood,  and  of 
that  little  I  hope  to  get  a  little  part.  This  is  all  T  at  present  can  say  of 
my  prospects.  For  one  thing  I  ought  to  be  thankful.  If  poverty 
brings  me  so  near  to  the  wind  that  I  cannot  stay  here  in  duty  to  my 
stomach,  I  have  only  to  take  my  hickory  and  walk.  The  disagreeable 
incumbrances  of  houses,  lands,  and  property  need  not  delay  me  a  mo- 
ment. Nor  shall  I  be  hindered  by  love,  nor  fastened  to  Boscawen  by 
the  power  of  beauty." 


448  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

That  Mr.  Webster  had  started  well  is  evident  from  a  sentence 
in  a  letter  written  by  Ezekiel : 

"Boscawen,  May  10,  1805. 
"Dear  Daniel:     Before  Mr.  French   [Mr.  French  was  a  trader,  and 
visited  Boston  to  furnish  goodsj   had  given  me  your  letter,  I  had  for- 
warded your  trunk,  with  the  blank  books  you  so  much  need  for  the  en- 
try of  your  fourteen  actions." 

He  had  been  in  Boscawen  five  weeks,  .and  had  fourteen  cases. 

His  sister  Sally  came  from  Salisbury  to  see  him  in  his  new 
quarters,  and  wrote  to  Ezekiel  in  regard  to  him, — 

"  Daniel  is  at  the  other  end  of  the  room  filling  out  a  blank;  he  looks 
pleasant.  I  suppose  he  intends  to  get  a  dollar  for  it,  towards  the 
eighty  he  has  lost.  It  has  been  remarked  that  a  bad  beginning  makes 
a  good  ending.  If  that  is  the  case,  I  think  he  will  undoubtedly  have  a 
good  end.'' 

Daniel  to  Ezekiel : 

"Sunday,  June,  1805. 

"Dear  Zeke:  I  got  home  alive  last  evening,  although  most  killed  by 
hot  weather.  Have  not  seen  our  folks,  but  hear  they  are  well.  Pray 
send  me  a  pair  of  gaiters  like  Fifield's.  In  going  to  church  to-day,  I 
feel  that  man  is  dust,  and  can  think  of  nothing  to  guard  against  sand 
better  than  they  do. 

"Adieu,  which  is  a  very  affectionate  term  from  the  French  a-dieu, 
and  is  synonymous  with  '  I  commend  you  to  God.'  " 

On  the  4th  of  July  Mr.  Webster  gave  an  oration  at  Salisbury 
south  village.  Party  spirit  was  running  high.  He  spoke  to  the 
Eederalists,  while  Mr.  Pettingill  addressed  his  fellow  democrats 
at  the  centre  village,  a  mile  distant.  The  last  of  July  Mr.  Web- 
ster wrote  to  Ezekiel, — 

"I  shall  make  as  many  entries  at  the  next  court  as  I  expected  to,  per- 
haps a  few  more.  I  pick  up,  however,  but  very  little  cash,  hardly  laying 
my  hand  on  a  single  dollar." 

In  a  letter  to  his  classmate  Bingham,  dated  Jan.  19,  1806,  we 
get  a  glimpse  of  his  business  : 

"  It  is  now  eight  months  since  I  opened  an  office  in  this  town,  during 
which  time  I  have  led  a  life  which  I  know  not  how  to  describe  better 
than  by  calling  it  a  life  of  writs  and  summonses.  Not  that  I  have  dealt 
greatly  in  those  articles,  but  that  I  have  done  Httle  else.     My  business 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  449 

has  been  Just  about  so,  so;  its  quantity  less  objectionable  than  its  qual- 
ity. 

''  I  shall  be  able  at  the  end  of  the  year  to  pay  my  bills,  and  pay  per- 
haps sixty  pounds  for  books.  I  practise  in  Hillsborough,  Rockingham, 
and  Grafton.  Scattering  business  over  so  much  surface  is  like  spilling 
water  on  the  ground.  *  *  I  make  no  poetry, — five  lines  to  D.  Ab- 
bott are  the  Alpha  and  Omega  of  my  poetical  labors  for  the  year.  In 
this  particular  I  mean  to  reform.  How  would  it  do,  think  ye,  to  write 
writs  in  verse?  For  instance,  let  one  be  clausum  in  his  verbis— ilvdi  is  to 
say,  being  interpreted,  wrapt  up  in  these  words, — 

"All  good  sheriffs  in  tlie  land 

We  command 
That  forthwith  yon  arrest  John  Dyer, 

Esquire, 
If  in  your  precinct  you  can  find  him, 
And  bind  liini — &c.,  &c.,  &c." 

He  removed  to  Portsmouth  in  September,  1807,  transferring 
liis  business  in  Boscawen  to  his  brother  Ezekiel. 

Daniel  Webster's  entrance  upon  public  life  was  not  of  his  own 
seeking.  Samuel  Batchekler,  of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  still  living  at 
the  age  of  94,  was  formerly  a  resident  of  New  Hampshire,  and 
was  instrumental  in  securing  Mr.  Webster's  first  nomination  to 
congress.     He  furnishes  the  following  statement : 

"  For  several  years  previous  to  1812,  the  Democratic  parly  was  a  ma- 
jority in  the  state  of  Kew  Hampshire;  but  in  1812  the  Federalists  be- 
gan to  have  hopes  that  by  the  nomination  of  a  strong  list  of  candidates 
for  members  of  congress,  who  were  chosen  by  a  general  ticket,  they 
miglit  carry  the  election.  For  this  purpose  Judge  Timothy  Farrar 
was  induced  to  consent  to  head  the  list.  The  judge  had  never  been  an 
active  politician,  and  was  not  ambitious  of  distinction,  having  been  a 
judge  for  more  than  thirty  years,  and  at  one  time  had  resigned  a  place 
on  the  bench  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  order  to  take  a  place  as  judge  of 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 

"  In  the  course  of  the  year  1812  political  feeling  was  undergoing  such 
a  change  that  the  Federal  party  felt  confident  of  success,  and  there  was 
a  strong  disposition  to  send  Mr.Webster  to  congress  ;  and  it  was  known 
that  Judge  Farrar  had  consented  very  reluctantly  to  his  own  nomina- 
tion, and  would  be  glad  to  have  Mr.  Webster  take  his  place,  on  account 
of  friendship  for  him  as  well  as  for  his  father,  who  was  a  judge  on  the 
same  bench  with  himself.  Accordingly  a  meeting  was  held  at  Concord 
during  the  session  of  the  legislature,  in  June,  and  a  committee  was  ap- 
pointed, consisting  of  Judge  Jeremiah  Smith,  Ezekiel  Webster,  and 
29 


450  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

myself,  to  consult  Judge  Farrar,  and  make  arrangements  such  as  were 
known  would  be  agreeable  to  him. 

"  The  committee  agreed  upon  a  day  to  meet  at  New  Ipswich  and  at- 
tend to  their  duty;  and  Judge  Smith  took  the  stage  by  way  of  Boston, 
and  Ezekiel  Webster  got  into  my  chaise  and  proceeded  with  me  to  New 
Ipswich,  and  arrangements  were  made  with  Judge  Farrar  to  the  satis- 
faction of  all  parties.  Accordingly  a  meeting  was  held  at  Brentwood, 
in  August,  at  which  the  famous  Rockingham  memorial  and  resolutions, 
drawn  by  Mr.  Webster,  were  adopted.  Mr.  Webster's  name  was 
placed  at  the  head  of  the  list  for  congress,  and  Judge  Farrar  was  nom- 
inated one  of  the  electors  of  president." 

WEBSTER,    EZEKIEL,    HON. 

Ezekiel  Webster,  elder  brother  of  Daniel,  was  born  in  Salisbury, 
April  11,  1780.  The  first  nineteen  years  of  his  life  were  spent  on 
his  father's  farm,  and  it  was  settled  in  the  mind  of  Judge  Web- 
ster that  he  was  to  remain  at  home  and  be  a  farmer,  while  Daniel, 
who  had  less  physical  strength  in  childhood,  who  seems  to  have 
had  little  inclination  for  farming,  was  to  be  educated  to  one  of  the 
learned  professions. 

Daniel  entered  college  in  1797.  It  troubled  him,  however,  to 
think  that  Ezekiel  was  at  home  plodding  on  the  farm  while  he 
was  obtaining  an  education.     He  says  in  his  autobiography, — 

"I  soon  began  to  grow  uneasy  at  my  brother's  situation.  His  pros- 
pects were  not  promising,  and  he  himself  felt  and  saw  this,  and  had  as- 
pirations beyond  his  condition.  Nothing  was  proposed,  however,  by 
way  of  change  of  plan,  till  two  years  later. 

"  In  the  spring  of  1799,  at  the  May  vacation,  being  then  a  sophomore, 
I  visited  my  family,  and  then  held  serious  consultation  with  my  brother. 
I  remember  well  when  we  went  to  bed  we  began  to  talk  matters  over, 
and  that  we  rose  after  sunrise  without  having  shut  our  eyes.  But  we 
had  settled  our  plan. 

"  He  had  thought  of  going  into  some  new  part  of  the  country.  That 
was  discussed  and  disagreed  to.  All  the  pros  and  cons  of  the  question 
of  remaining  at  home  were  weighed  and  considered,  and  when  our  coun- 
cil broke  up,  or,  rather,  got  up,  its  result  was  that  I  should  propose  to 
my  father  that  he,  late  as  it  was,  should  ,be  sent  to  school,  and  also  to 
college.  This  we  knew  would  be  a  trying  thing  to  my  father  and  moth- 
er and  two  unmarried  sisters.  My  father  was  growing  old,  his  health 
not  good,  and  his  circumstances  far  from  easy.  The  farm  was  to  be 
carried  on,  and  the  family  taken  care  of;   and  there  was  nobody  to  do 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  451 

all  this  but  him  who  was  regarded  as  the  main  stay,  that  is  to  say,  Eze- 
kiel.  However,  I  ventured  on  the  negotiation,  and  it  was  carried,  as 
other  things  often  are,  by  the  earnest  and  sanguine  manner  of  youth.  I 
told  him  that  I  was  unhappy  at  my  brother's  prospects.  For  myself 
I  saw  my  way  to  knowledge,  respectability,  and  self-protection,  but  as 
to  him,  all  looked  the  other  way;  that  I  would  keep  school,  and  get 
along  as  well  as  I  could — be  more  than  four  years  in  getting  through 
college,  if  necessary— provided  he  also  could  be  sent  to  study. 

"  He  said,  at  once,  he  lived  but  for  his  children ;  that  he  had  but  little, 
and  on  that  little  he  put  no  value,  except  so  far  as  it  might  be  useful  to 
them;  that  to  carry  us  both  through  college  would  take  all  he  was 
worth;  that  for  himself  he  was  willing  to  run  the  risk,  but  that  this 
was  a  serious  matter  to  our  mother  and  two  unmarried  sisters;  that  we 
must  settle  the  matter  with  them,  and  if  their  consent  was  obtained  he 
would  trust  to  Providence  and  get  along  as  well  as  he  could." 

The  father  laid  the  case  before  tlie  mother.  "  The  farm  is  al- 
ready mortgaged,  and  if  we  send  Ezekiel  to  college  it  will  take  all 
we  have ;  but  the  boys  think  they  can  take  care  of  us,"  he  said. 

It  did  not  take  the  strong-hearted,  sagacious  woman  long  to  de- 
cide the  matter  :  "  We  can  trust  the  boys." 

The  question  was  settled.  Daniel  went  back  to  Hanover,  while 
Ezekiel  went,  bundle  in  hand,  to  Dr.  Wood's,  and  began  the  study 
of  Latin.  He  spent  two  terms  at  a  school  kept  at  Salisbury, 
South  Road  village,  and  returned  again  to  Dr.  Wood's,  where  his 
expenses  were  about  one  dollar  per  week. 

While  thus  studying  and  taking  recreation  beneath  the  magnifi. 
cent  beeches  that  stood  before  the  house,  he  kept  up  a  frequent 
correspondence  with  Daniel  at  Hanover.  Ezekiel  distrusted  his 
ability  to  get  on.  Daniel  makes  this  reply  to  him,  in  a  letter 
written  April  25,  1800  : 

"  You  tell  me  that  you  have  difficulties  to  encounter  which  I  know 
nothing  of.  What  do  you  mean,  Ezekiel?  Do  you  mean  to  flatter? 
That  don't  become  you.  Or  do  you  think  you  are  inferior  to  me  in 
natural  abih ties?  If  so,  be  assured  you  greatly  mistake.  Therefore, 
in  the  future  say  in  your  letters  to  me,  'I  am  superior  to  you  in  natu- 
ral endowments;  I  will  know  more  in  one  year  tlian  you  do  now,  and 
more  in  six  than  you  ever  will.' 

"  1  should  not  resent  the  language, — I  should  be  very  well  pleased  in 
hearing  it;  but  be  assured,  as  mighty  as  you  are,  your  great  puissance 
shall  never  insure  you  a  victory  without  a  contest." 


452  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

Witli  such  words  Daniel  endeavored  to  clieer  the  struggling  elder 
brother. 

In  November,  1802,  Daniel  was  at  home  in  Salisbury,  while 
Ezekiel  was  struggling  with  povert}^  at  Hanover.  Funds  were 
getting  low  in  the  Webster  homestead.  Daniel  writes  under  date 
of  Nov.  4th : 

"  Now,  Zeke,  you  will  not  read  half  a  sentence,  no,  not  one  syllable 
before  you  have  thoroughly  searched  this  sheet  for  scrip  ;  but  my  word 
for  it,  you'll  find  no  scrip  here.  We  held  a  sanhedrim  this  morning  on 
the  subject  of  cash.  Could  not  hit  upon  any  way  to  get  you  any. 
Just  before  we  went  away  to  hang  ourselves  through  disaj^pointment, 
it  came  into  our  heads  that  next  week  might  do.  The  truth  is,  father 
had  an  execution  against  Hubbard  of  N.  Chester  for  about  one  hun- 
dred dollars.  The  money  was  collecting  and  just  ready  to  drop  into 
the  hands  of  the  creditors,  when  Hubbard  suddenly  died.  This,  you 
see,  stays  the  execution  till  the  long  process  of  administering  is 
completed. 

"  I  have  now  by  me  two  cents  in  lawful  federal  currency.  Next 
week  I  shall  send  them,  if  they  be  all.  They  will  buy  a  pipe;  with  a 
pipe  you  can  smoke;  smoking  inspires  wisdom;  wisdom  is  allied  to  for- 
titude; from  fortitude  it  is  but  one  step  to  stoicism;  and  stoicism  never 
pants  for  this  world's  goods; — so  perhaps  my  two  cents,  by  this  process, 
may  put  you  quite  at  ease  about  cash.     *     *     * 

"  We  are  all  here  just  in  the  old  way,  always  behind  and  lacking. 
Boys  digging  potatoes  with  frozen  fingers,  and  girls  washing  without 
wood." 

Two  daj's  later  Ezekiel  writes  to  Daniel.  It  is  not  an  answer ; 
the  letters  doubtless  j)assed  each  other  on  the  waj.  Ezekiel,  after 
giving  a  just  criticism  on  the  writings  of  Horace,  thus  closes  his 
epistle : 

''  These  cold  frosty  mornings  very  sensibly  inform  me  that  I  want  a 
warm  great-coat.  I  wish,  Daniel,  it  might  be  convenient  to  send  me 
cloth  for  one,  otherwise  I  shall  be  necessitated  to  purcliase  one  liere.  I 
do  not  care  what  color  it  is,  or  what  kind  of  cloth  it  is — anytliing  that 
will  keep  the  frost  out.  Some  kind  of  shaggy  cloth,  I  think,  would  be 
cheapest.  Deacon  Pettingill  has  written,  offering  me  fourteen  dollars  a 
month  [to  keep  school].    I  believe  I  shall  take  it. 

"Money,  Daniel,  money!  As  I  was  walking  down  to  the  office  after 
a  letter,  I  happened  to  have  one  cent,  -wdiich  is  the  only  money  I  have 
had  since  the  second  day  after  I  came  on.     It  is  a  fact,  Dan,  that  I  was 


#^^i^^. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  453 

called  on  for  a  dolLir  where  I  owed  it,  and  borrowed  it,  and  have  bor- 
rowed it  four  times  since  to  pay  those  I  borrowed  of." 

From  a  paragnipli  in  a  letter,  written  by  Daniel  to  his  class- 
mate, Bingliam,  of  Lempster,  it  would  appear  that  Ezekiel  taught 
school  in  Sanbornton  in  December,  1803  : 

"  Zeke  is  at  Sanbornton.  He  comes  home  once  in  a  while,  sits  down 
before  the  kitclien  fire,  begins  to  poke  and  rattle  the  andirons.  I  know 
what  is  coming,  and  am  mute.  At  length  he  puts  his  feet  into  the 
oven's  mouth,  places  his  right  eyebrow  up  on  his  forehead,  &  begins  a 
very  pathetic  lecture  on  the  evils  of  poverty.  It  is  like  church  service. 
.  He  does  all  the  talking,  and  I  only  say  'Amen!  amen!'  " 

Ezekiel's  funds  failed  iu  the  spring  of  1804,  and  by  permission 
of  the  Faculty  he  left  Dartmouth,  went  to  Boston,  where  he  pur- 
chased the  good-will  of  a  private  school,  which  he  taught  with 
great  success  till  April,  1805.  He  was  graduated  at  Dartmouth 
meanwhile  in  1804,  having  .spent  but  three  years  in  college. 

While  earning  a  livelihood  by  teaching,  he  studied  law  with 
Gov.  Sullivan,  then  attorney-general  of  Massachusetts.  In  1806 
he  studied  with  Parker  Noyes,  Esq.,  of  Salisbury,  next  door  to 
Judge  Webster's  house.  Daniel  having  decided  to  leave  Bos- 
cawen  and  take  up  his  residence  in  Portsmouth,  turned  over  his 
practice  to  Ezekiel,  who  entered  upon*  his  profession  as  a  lawyer 
in  Boscawen  in  the  month  of  September,  1807.  His  legal  knowl- 
edge and  moral  worth  soon  became  known,  and  acquired  for  him 
an  extensive  business.  He  was  not  ambitious  to  excel  as  an  orator, 
and  it  was  only  the  urgent  appeal  of  duty  or  the  imperative  obliga- 
tion to  his  profession  that  overcame  his  instinctive  aversion  to  a 
crowd,  and  called  forth  his  highest  powers  of  eloquence.  He  never 
encouraged  litigation,  but  ahvays  used  his  personal  influence  to 
bring  about  a  private  adjustment  of  most  of  the  contested  matters 
originating  in  the  town.  He  repeatedly  represented  the  town  in 
the  legislature.  He  was  educated  a  Federalist  by  his  father,  a 
Whig  of  177G.  He  was  old  enough  to  remember  the  administra- 
tion of  Washington,  and  believed  with  all  his  heart  in  the  politi- 
cal principles  adhered  to  by  the  Federal  party,  Avhicli  was  in  a 
minority  in  the  state  after  he  came  into  public  life.  This  adher- 
ence to  political  principle  prevented  his  election  to  congress,  and 
from  holding  other  offices  in  the  gift  of  the  people. 


454  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

Although  devoted  to  his  profession,  he  loved  agriculture,  and 
retained  the  homestead  at  Salisbury  after  his  father's  death,  which 
occurred  in  1806.  He  was  one  of  the  projectors  and  an  active 
member  of  the  Merrimack  Agricultural  Society,  and  was  active  in 
advancing  improved  methods  of  husbandry. 

He  Avas  simple  in  his  tastes,  kind,  genial,  polite,  and  a  jierfect 
gentleman.  He  attended  to  all  the  details  of  life,  served  as  asses- 
sor in  the  religious  society,  and  as  committee-man  for  the  school 
district.  He  looked  upon  Dr.  Wood  as  a  loving  child  looks  upon 
a  devoted  parent.  A  member  of  the  bar,  S2:)ending  a  Sabbath 
with  Mr.  Webster,  and  hearing  Dr.  Wood,  took  occasion  to  dis- 
parage the  sermon.  Mr.  Webster  replied  pointedly  and  with 
spirit,  that  he  doubted  the  gentleman's  ability  to  appreciate  the 
performance.  He  was  ever  Dr.  Wood's  confidential  friend  and 
adviser.  Together  they  planned  the  establishing  of  Boscawen 
academy.  Mr.  Webster  contributed  fully  $300  to  the  institution, 
and  by  his  heartiness  and  zeal  stimulated  his  fellow-townsmen  to 
carry  on  the  project,  while  Daniel,  then  almost  in  the  zenith  of 
his  fame,  contributed  the  bell. 

He  was  an  exemplary  member  of  the  church,  and  his  influence 
was  ever  on  the  side  of  right.  He  was  a  constant  attendant  upon 
religious  services,  and  alwa^'s  maintained  religious  devotions  in 
his  home. 

On  the  10th  of  April,  1829,  he  was  making  a  plea  before  the 
Merrimack  bar  at  Concord.  He  was  standing  erect.  The  court- 
room was  crowded,  for  whenever  the  lawyer  from  Boscawen  made 
a  plea  the  people  flocked  to  hear  him.  The  court,  jurors,  lawyers, 
and  audience  were  listening  to  his  words,  and  noticing  the  play 
of  his  clear  cut  features  and  the  manly  dignity  of  his  command- 
ing presence.  He  was  speaking  with  vigor  and  earnestness.  His 
periods  were  rounded  as  usual,  his  utterance  clear,  his  enuncia- 
tion perfect.  He  closed  one  branch  of  his  argument,  uttered  the 
concluding  sentence  and  the  final  word,  distinctly  and  with  his 
accustomed  cadence,  his  form  erect  as  ever,  his  eye  clear  and 
bright,  his  arms  hanging  naturally  by  his  side,  and  then,  without 
a  murmur,  a  groan,  a  lisp,  raising  not  a  hand,  clutching  at  noth- 
ing, with  no  bending  of  a  joint  or  quivering  of  the  eyelids,  he  fell 
backward  upon  the  floor — dead  !    With  the  quickness  of  the  light- 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY.  455 

ning's  flash,  from  the  full  vigor  of  a  manly  life,  at  the  age  of  49, 
he  died — one  of  the  most  remarkable  deaths  on  record. 

His  funeral  was  attended  on  the  following  Sunday  by  a  vast 
concourse  of  people,  and  he  was  mourned  by  the  entire  com" 
munity. 

A  writer  in  a  public  journal  describes  his  appearance  : 

'"'  He  was  nearly  six  feet  in  height,  finely  proportioned,  with  a  very 
commanding  presence.  His  was  a  magnificent  form,  crowned  with  a 
princely  head,  that  in  his  last  years  was  thickly  covered  with  snowy 
hair.  His  complexion  was  just  the  opposite  of  Daniel's.  His  counte- 
nance was  open  as  the  day;  his  heart  was  warm  and  afl"ectionate;  his 
manners  kind  and  courteous." 

Daniel,  in  a  letter  written  in  184G,  thus  spoke  of  him  : 

"  He  appeared  to  me  the  finest  human  form  that  ever  I  laid  eyes  on. 
I  saw  him  in  his  coffin,  a  tinged  cheek,  a  complexion  clear  as  the  heav- 
enly light." 

One  who  saw  him  at  church,  on  a  cold  day  the  winter  before, 
speaks  of  his  appearance.  It  was  before  the  introduction  of  a 
stove.  Mr.  Webster  came  in,  wearing  a  jacket,  or  "  Spencer,"  as 
the  garment  was  called,  over  his  coat,  bringing  a  foot-stove  in  his 
hand,  which  with  princely  politeness  he  placed  at  the  feet  of  Mrs. 
vVebster,  and  then  took  his  seat,  and  joined  reverently  in  the 
worship. 

He  held  important  trusts, — was  trustee  of  Dartmouth  college 
from  1819  till  his  death,  and  repeatedl_y  represented  the  town  in 
the  legislature.  He  married  (1)  Alice  Bridge,  of  Billerica,  Mass., 
13  Jan.,  1809 ;  (2)  Achsa  Pollard,  of  Concord,  1825.  He  left 
two  daughters, — Alice  Bridge,  who  married  Jarvis  Gregg,  Jan- 
uary 1,  1836,  the  first  preceptor  of  Boscawen  academy — from  1828 
to  1830.  He  was  son  of  Dea.  James  and  Betsey  (Hopkins) 
Gregg,  of  Londonderry ;  studied  theology  at  Andover ;  ordained 
as  minister,  1835  ;  and  became  Professor  of  Natural  Philosophy  and 
Rhetoric  at  Western  Reserve  college,  Hudson,  Ohio,  1835,  where 
he  died.  His  widow  married  Prof.  Guthrie,  of  Marietta  college. 
His  second  daughter,  Mary  Ann,  married  Prof.  Edwin  D.  San- 
born, LL.  D.,  of  Dartmouth  college,  11  Dec,  1837.  He  is  son  of 
David  E.  and  Harriet  (Hook)  Sanborn,  and  was  born  at  Gilman- 
ton  in  1808.     He  graduated  at  Dartmouth  in  1832,  studied  theol- 


456  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

ogy  at  Andover,  became  tutor  at  Dartmouth  in  1835,  professor  of 
Latin  and  Greek  from  1835  to  1837,  and  professor  of  Latin  from 
1837  to  1859.  He  became  president  of  Washington  University, 
St.  Louis,  from  1859  to  1863,  but  returned  to  Hanover,  where 
he  now  is  professor  of  oratory  and  belles-lettres. 

WEBSTER,    ELIPHALET    K., 

Son  of  Eev.  Josiah  Webster,  was  bom  in  Essex,  Mass.,  3  May, 
1802.  His  father  removed  to  Hampstead  in  1808,  Avhere  he  was 
installed  pastor  of  the  Congregational  church,  continuing  the  rela- 
tion till  his  death,  in  1837.  He  had  several  other  sons, — one? 
Gen.  J.  J).  Webster,  of  Chicago,  chief  of  Gen.  Grant's  staff  in  the 
early  campaigns  of  the  war;  another  is  president  of  Olivet  college, 
Mich. 

Eliphalet  K.  was  educated  at  Hampton  academy,  and  at  Phil- 
lips academy,  Exeter.  He  began  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr. 
Farley  of  Erancestown,  continued  with  Dr.  Ramsey,  of  Greenfield, 
one  year.  He  graduated  at  Dartmouth  in  1829,  began  practice 
at  Hill,  then  New  Chester,  in  February,  1833.  He  married 
Emily  Webster,  daughter  of  Col.  Ebenezer  Webster,  of  Salis- 
bury,— youngest  sister  of  Daniel, — August,  1833.  * 

Dr.  Webster  moved  to  Boscawen  in  1844,  and  engaged  in  a 
lucrative  practice.  He  Avas  post-master  from  1854  to  1862,  super- 
intending school  committee  for  a  period  of  twelve  years,  was 
elected  secretary  of  the  JST.  H.  Medical  Society  for  many  years, 
and  was  honored  by  being  elected  president  of  the  society  in  1861. 
He  removed  to  Billerica,  Mass.,  in  1870,  where  he  still  resides. 

WIXN,    ABNER    BOWMAN, 

Son  of  Reuben,  was  l;>orn  in  Hudson,  10  October,  1816  ;  married 
Frances  M.,  daughter  of  Jonathan  Harvey,  of  Surry,  Mass., 
March  18,  1837,  and  moved  to  Boscawen  in  December,  1838.  He 
was  the  first  in  Fisherville  to  set  in  motion  machinery  for  making 
cloth,  commencing  in  the  lower  story  of  the  stone  factory  (erected 
in  1836),  and  continued  in  the  same  and  similar  business  until  his 
death,  16  Sept.,  1855. 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 


457 


He  was  a  skilful  mechanic,  mucli  devoted  to  his  occupation,  a 
kind  husband  and  neighbor,  open  and  generous  in  his  disposition, 
and  held  the  confidence  of  all  his  associates.  He  was  elected  to 
the  legislature  in  1855,  but  next  year  declined  a  reelection. 

WOOD,    REV.    SAMUEL,    D.    D., 

Was  born  in  Mansfield,  Conn.,  11  May,  1752,  and  was  the  old- 
est of  thirteen  children.  In  his  childhood  he  suffered  from  a 
sickness  which  retarded  his  growth  and  strength.  At  an  early 
age  he  became  religious,  and  had  a  desire  to  be  a  minister  of  the 
gospel.  His  father  removed  to  Lebanon,  N.  H.,  in  1766,  being 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  town.  There  were  no  schools,  nor 
advantages  of  any  kind  for  obtaining  an  education.  It  was  a 
great  trial  to  a  lad  who  had  an  ardent  thirst  for  knowledge.  He 
worked  hard  to   help   his  father  clear  his  newly  acquired  land. 

He  united  with  the  Lebanon  church  at  its  formation,  four 
years  later,  under  the  pastoral  care  of  Rev.  Mr.  Potter.  The  long 
desired  opportunity  for  the  acquisition  of  an  education  came,  per- 
haps sooner  than  he  expected.  Dartmouth  college  was  estab- 
lished in  1769,  within  six  miles  of  his  home.  He  entered  that 
institution  in  August,  1775,  at  the  age  of  24.  He  was  obliged  to 
exercise  a  rigid  economy  while  going  through  his  college  course- 
He  graduated  in  1779,  giving  the  valedictory  on  that  occasion, 
showing  his  high  standing  as  a  student,  the  class  numbering  sev- 
enteen. His  theme  on  that  occasion  was,  "The  Importance  of 
Education." 

During  his  senior  year,  having  the  ministry  in  view,  he  gave 
attention  to  the  study  of  theology ;  and  having  been  licensed  to 
preach,  gave  his  first  sermon  at  Lebanon,  13  October,  of  the 
same  year.  His  text  in  the  morning  was  from  John  12 :  21, — 
"  Sir,  we  would  see  Jesus."  At  the  close  of  the  service  two  men 
came  to  him  inquiring  the  Avay  of  salvation.  In  the  afternoon 
he  preached  from  John  9  :  27, — "Will  ye  also  be  his  disciples  ?  " 
During  the  remainder  of  1779  he  preached  in  the  surrounding 
towns. 

October  17,  1780,  he  married  Miss  Eunice  Bliss,  youngest 
daughter  of  Hezekiah  Bliss,  of  Lebanon,  who  had  moved  from 
Connecticut  with  his   large   family  of  twelve  children — six  sons 


458  BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 

and  six  daughters.  Miss  Bliss  was  twenty-five,  Mr.  Wood 
twenty-nine  years  of  age ;  and  tlie  marriage  thus  consummated 
was  a  ha2:)py  union  that  continued  fifty-six  years. 

In  the  fall  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Wood  visited  in  Connecticut, 
and  received  an  invitation  to  settle  there,  hut  declined  it.  In 
the  spring  of  1781  he  received  an  application  from  the  town  of 
Boscawen,  to  preach  six  months ;  and  his  ministry  was  so  accept- 
able that  he  was  ordained  as  pastor  of  the  church  and  minister 
of  the  town,  17  October,  the  same  year. 

"  At  tlie  time  of  his  settlement  [says  Rev.  Mr.  Price,  in  Dr.  Wood's 
funeral  sermon]  he  felt  himself  alone,  as  there  were  but  three  ministers 
within  forty  miles  who  united  with  him  in  religions  sentiment.  The 
others  were  either  Armenians,  or  so  loose  in  sentiment  that  he  could 
not  exchange  labors  with  them  without  sacrificing  principle;  and  to  use 
his  own  words,  '  I  was  a  speckled  bird.'  *  *  j^  great  revival 
of  religion  was  enjoyed  at  the  opening  of  the  spring  of  1782.  It  was 
the  first  ever  experienced  in  the  town,  and  it  was  a  wonderful  event  to 
all  the  people  in  all  the  region.  Among  the  suljects  of  this  work  of 
grace  were  between  thirty  and  forty  heads  of  families."' 

Dr.  Wood's  civil  contract  with  the  town  was  dissolved,  7  May, 
1802,  though  his  pastoral  relation  with  the  church  still  continued. 
In  1804,  the  Second  church  was  organized,  in  the  western  sec- 
tion of  the  town,  and  Rev.  Ebenezer  Price  settled  as  its  pastor. 

Bev.  Mr.  Wood,  during  these  years,  prepared  a  number  of  young 
men  for  college.  Among  them  was  Daniel  Webster.  Four  were  fit- 
ted for  the  ministry  that  did  not  go  through  college,  four  received 
their  entire  help  from  him  to  carry  them  through  college,  while 
fifteen  others  were  aided  in  part.  The  last  pupil  fitted  by  him 
entered  the  class  of  1830 — a  promising  young  man  from  Dunbar- 
ton,  by  the  name  of  Wilson,  who  died  before  completing  his  course. 
Nearly  fifty  j^oung  men  and  women  were  prepared  as  i^achers 
in  the  public  schools. 

From  1809  he  was  actively  engaged  in  promoting  the  cause  of 
education,  and  acted  as  visiting  committee  for  twenty  years. 

As  early  as  the  year  1797  he  endeavored  to  secure  the  estab- 
lishment of  an  academjr,  but,  failing  in  that,  was  the  means  of 
starting  a  library.  Thirty  years  later  the  project  of  an  academy 
was  revived,  and  through  the  energy  and  liberality  of  Hon.  Ezekiel 
Webster,  and  the   hearty   cooperation   of  the  citizens.  Dr.  Wood 


BIOGRAPHICAL    HISTORY. 


459 


hail  the  gratification  of  seeing  the  realization  of  his  early  plans. 
He  contributed  liberally  to  establish  the  institution, — giving  the 
shingles,  ^yllich  he  had  shaved  with  his  own  hands.  His  salary 
during  the  first  twenty  years  of  his  ministry  was  $!233.34,  and  the 
j)arsonage  income,  amounting  to  a  few  dollars.  During  the  last 
thirty-five  years  of  his  ministry  it  was  $230  and  exemption  from 
taxation.  He  delighted  in  husbandly,  and  took  great  pains  to 
obtain  choice  varieties  of  fruit.  At  one  period  he  gave  his  atten- 
tion to  the  production  of  silk.  He  never  neglected  his  parochial 
duties,  and  during  a  period  of  fort3Miine  years  lost  but  nine  Sab- 
baths on  account  of  sickness. 

During  a  period  of  a  half  century  there  were  ten  revivals  of  re- 
ligion. Under  his  ministration  480  were  added  to  the  church  by 
profession.  There  were  825  baptisms  and  212  marriages  solemn- 
ized by  him.  The  degree  of  D.  D.  was  conferred  on  him  by  his 
Alma  Mater,  Dartmouth,  in  1820.  He  took  an  active  and  lead- 
ing part  in  all  the  benevolent  institutions  of  the  day,  and  his 
genial  and  kindly  disposition,  and  his  ability  as  a  preacher,  gave 
him  great  influence.  He  was  ever  highly  respected  and  honored. 
He  did  much  towards  forming  j^ublic  sentiment  in  the  town,  and 
his  influence  will  be  felt  for  good  far  and  wide  through  coming 
i:jenerations. 


GENEALOGICAL. 


^^HE  compilation  of  the  Family  Records  in  connection  with 
^^  the  History  of  Boscawen  has  been  attended  by  many  difficul- 
ties. With  the  utmost  painstaking  it  has  been  impossible  to  obtain 
complete  and  accurate  genealogies.  The  change  from  the  Old  to 
the  New  Style,  by  which,  in  1752,  eleven  daj^s  were  stricken 
from  the  Calendar,  wrought  great  confusion  of  dates.  Years 
elapsed  before  the  ISTew  Style  came  into  general  use  ; — hence 
the  contradictory  records  between  the  births  and  deaths,  as  pre- 
served in  family  Bibles  and  in  the  town  records.  Man}-  families 
liaving  no  written  record,  have  supplied  names  and  dates  from 
memory, — an  unsatisfactory  record  being  the  result. 

The  genealogies  being  prepared  by  different  individuals  vary 
in  method.  The  only  practicable  method  is  that  which  adheres 
strictly  to  the  family  name.  The  system  which  gives  the  families 
of  female  members  after  marriage  leads  to  confusion ; — lience  the 
compilers  have  endeavored,  as  far  as  practicable,  to  present  the 
genealogies  by  the  system  which  experience  teaches  is  the  best. 

Abbreviations  : 


b. 

born. 

d. 

died. 

m. 

married. 

dau. 

daughter. 

s. 

son. 

B. 

Boscawen, 

462  GENEALOGICAL ABBOT. 

ABBOT. 

Compiled  by  Jolin  Kimball. 

Geokge^  came  from  England  1640,  was  ancestor  of  tlie  Abbot 
families  of  Andover,  Mass.,  Concord,  and  Boscawen, 
d.  5  Oct.,  1681. 

James^  (William,^  George-')  came  to  Concord  in  1735 ;  lived  on 
tlie  farm  now  the  homestead  and  residence  of  Simeon 
Abbot. 

Eeubex*  (James,*^  William,-  George^)  settled  in  Concord,  west 
of  Long  pond ;  reached  a  more  advanced  age  than 
any  other  man  that  ever  lived  in  Concord ;  saw  his 
descendants  of  the  same  name  to  the  fourtli  genera- 
tion occupying  the  same  house ;  d.  13  May,  1822, 
aged  99. 

EzRA^  (Eeuben*)  m.  Mary  Walker ;  had  nine  children.  Two 
of  his  sons,  Timothy  and  Job,  settled  in  B. ;  also  a 
dan.,  Ruth,  who  m.  Samuel  Ellsworth. 

Timothy'^  (Ezra^),  b.  21  Dec,  1788 ;  m.  Rhoda,  dan.  Jonathan 
Johnson,  and  granddau.  of  Renben,*  8  Aug.,  1818. 
He  settled  on  Contoocook  river,  near  the  lower  falls. 
For  several  years,  in  company  with  his  brother  Job 
and.  others,  he  carried  on  the  lumber  business,  and  at 
one  time  owned  a  share  in  the  mills  near  his  resi- 
dence ;  d.  6  Jan.,  1847. 
CAor/e.s-,  b.  29  July,  1822. 

Job*'  (Ezra^),  b.  14  Nov.,  1790;  lived  in  the  house  with  his  brother 
Timothy  ;  m.  Lydia,  dau.  of  John  Morrison,  of  San- 
bornton,  9  May,  1816 ;  d.  20  Sept.,  1876. 

Samuel  TF.,  b.  9  March,  1817;  d.  18  Feb.,  1819. 

Ezra  M.,  b.  18  Jan.,  1819;  d.  22  Feb.,  1819. 

Man)  Esther,  b.  12  June,  1820;  d.  17  June,  1832. 

Judhh  E.,  b.  31  March.  1822;  d.  23  Sept.,  1827. 

Abigail,  b.  29  March,  1824;  m.  James  Tallant. 

Emetine,  h.  19  Nov.,  182G;  m.  B.  W.  Jewett. 

Judith,  b.  12  Jnly,  18:^9. 

Lydia  Ann^  h.  lo  Nov.,  1831 ;  ni.  Isaac  N-  Farley. 

Achmh  ir.,  b.  12  Nov.,  1833;  d.  31  Oct.,  1854. 

Augui^tus  P.,  b.  9  Dec,  1835;  m.  Rose  L.  Withers. 

Jabez*  (James,^  William,-  George,^)  with  two  brothers,  settled 
near   Sewell's   falls,  in   Concord;  m.  Phebe,   dau.    of 
Edward^  Abbot,  and  had  four  children. 
Joseph,  b.  5  Aug.,  1759. 


GENEALOGICAL ABBOT.  463 

Joseph^  (Jabez*)  served  in  the  war  of  the  revolution,  in  Col. 
Peabody's  regiment ;  in  1791  purchased  the  N.  W. 
corner  lot  in  B.,  now  Webster;  m.  Molly  Melloon,  of 
Salisbury,  3  April,  1794.  She  was  granddau.  of  Na- 
thaniel, who,  with  his  family,  was  taken  captive  by 
the  Indians,  16  May,  1753. 

Phehe,  b.  17  Dec,  1791;  d.  27  March,  1790. 

Nathaniel,  b.  17  Aug.,  1796. 

Joseph,  b.  2-2  April,  1798. 

Jubez^h.  3  July,  1800. 

Clarissa,  b.  3  '  Jan.,  1803  ;  d.  21  Sept.,  1801. 

Phebe,  2d,  b.  26  Feb.,  1805;  m.  Jason  D.  Watkins,  of  Warner. 

ira,  b.  10  Sept.,  1807. 

Nathan,  b.  7  Feb.,  1811. 

Nathaniel*^  (Joseph^)  m.  Mary  Fitts,  of  Sandown  ;  d.  at  Fisher- 
ville,  28  Feb.,  18651 

Horace,  b.  23  Nov.,  1829;  merchant  at  Fisherville  ;  d.  28  June,  1865. 

Ilarj/  J.,  b.  5  June,  1831  ;  d.  1  Oct.,  1831. 

Maria  F.,  b.  28  March.  1833;  d.  5  Aug.,  1851. 

Julia  A.,h.  22  May,  1831. 

3Iary  J.,  2d,  b.  7  Jan  ,  1836. 

George  W.,  b.  13  March,  1837. 

Joseph'^  (Joseph^)  m.  Mary  Elkius,  of  Hampton  ;  lived  in  B. ; 
moved  to  Oakland,  Cal. 
John  E.,  b.  18  Nov.,  1831;  lawyer  at  Vallejo,  Cal. 
Joseph  E.,  b.  23  Sept..  1836;  lives  in  San  Francisco. 
Oliver  B.,  h.  26  July,  183S;  served  in  the  Union  army  ;  d.  July,  1885. 
Charles  If.,  b.  11  May,  1813;  lives  at  Oakland,  Cal. 

Jabez^  (Joseph^),  farmer,  now  living  in  Webster,  on  Little  hill ; 
m.  Eunice  K.  Moody. 
Harriet,  b.  12  Dec,  1829. 
Ellen  K.,  b.  8  Dec,  1831  ;  teacher. 
Elmira,  b.  11  March,  1833;  d.  5  April,  1831. 
Livonia,  b.  11  March,  1831  ;  d.  22  Aug.,  1851. 
Charles  M.,  b.  6  March,  1836;  d.  18  April,  1852. 
Warren,  b.  20  March.  1838;  teacher,  lives  in  Webster, 
Joshua  P.,  b.  3  March,  1840;  lawyer  in  California. 
Jane,  b.  5  April,  1816. 

Ira*^  (Joseph^)  m.  Almira  Elkins,  of  Sanbornton ;  d.  25  March, 
1877. 
i?/r//a  .1..  b.  22  Oct.,  1838. 
Almira,  b.  4  Jan.,  1812. 
Seth,  b.  25  Jan.,  1815. 
Mary  C,  b.  5  May,  1818;  d.  21  Jan.,  1875. 

Nathan®  (Joseph^),  m.  Janette  C.  Eyan  ;  lives  in  Fisherville. 
Lucrelia  M.,  b.  4  Nov.,  1839  ;  d.  10  Jalv,  1868. 
Luannah  M.,  b.  27  March,  1848, 


464  GENEALOGICAL — ABBOT. 

Geokge  W.'^  (IsTatlianieP)  served  three  years  in  the  Union  army, 
7th  Eegt.  iST.  H.  V.  ;  was  wounded  at  the  battle  of 
Ohistee,  Florida ;  resides  at  Fisherville ;  m.,  1st,  Al- 
mira,  dau.  of  James  I.  Tucker,  of  Boston  ;  2d,  Addie 
(Morrill)  Batchelder. 

Harry  S.,  b.  12  May,  1866;  d.  29  Aug.,  1867;  child  of  Almira. 

Myra  il/.,  b.  27  Oct.,  1872 ;  child  of  Addie. 

Charles^  (Timothy, *=  Ezra,^  Keuben^)  m.,  1st,  IMartha,  dau.  of 
Eenj.  Haselton,  of  Springfield ;  2d,  Sarah  E.,  dau.  of 
Eben  Haselton,  of  Springfield. 

Rosette,  b.  6  Sept.,  1846;  d.  6  Sept.,  1848. 

Martha  E.,  b.  26  Jan.,  1848;  m.  Rufus  Cass,  14  Nov.,  1867. 

Nahum  (?.,  b.  6  Aug.,  1850;  m.  Fanny  LI.  James,  27  July,  1872. 

Willie,  b.  29  May,  1861. 

Children  of  Sarah  E.  : 
Dan  G.,  b.  21  Nov.,  1862;  d.  15  Oct.,  1867. 
Lena  M.,  h.  26  May,  1867. 
Fred  S.,h.  17  June,  1869;  d.  4  Sept.,  1870. 

William,  Col.*'  (Nathan,^  Eeuben,*  James,^  William,^  George^), 
b.  23  Aug.,  1793,  m.  Dorcas,  dau.  of  Ephraim  Carter, 
7  March,  1820, — joiner  and  carpenter.  Settled  in  B., 
on  Water  st.  ;  erected  house  now  occupied  by  Jere- 
miah C.  Chadwick.  He  built  churches  at  Somers- 
worth,  Cornish,  Wentworth,  Unity,  Thornton,  Hen- 
niker,  and  West  Concord;  also  man}-  residences, — 
that  of  the  late  Henry  and  Abial  Gerrish,  being  a  part 
of  the  Merrimack  county  almshouse,  burned^  March 
12,  1878,  and  that  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Raymond. 
He  was  a  liberal,  energetic  man,  given  to  hospitality, 
active  in  every  good  work,  ready  to  assist  in  all  pub- 
lic enterprises  designed  for  the  good  of  the  commu- 
nity. He  went  through  all  grades  of  ofificial  position, 
from  sergeant  in  the  1st  Company  of  Infantrj',  to  en- 
sign, lieutenant,  captain,  major,  lieutenant-colonel, 
and  colonel  of  the  21st  Eegiment.  He  emplo3^ed  a 
large  number  of  workmen,  and  his  joiners'  sho]), 
which  stood  between  the  residences  of  Jeremiah  C. 
Chadwick  and  L.  M.  Chadwick,  was  ever  an  active 
place  of  business.  It  was  burned  in  1833,  or  about 
that  time,  but,  through  the  kind-heartedness  of  his 
neighbors  and  his  own  indomitable  energy,  workmen 
were  hewing  the  timber  for  a  new  shop  the  same  after- 
noon. He  took  an  active  part  in  the  temperance  ref- 
ormation. At  the  time  of  the  erection  of  the  meeting- 
house at  West  Concord,  in  1832,  the  question  came  up 
as  to  the  use  of  ardent  spirits  at  the  raising.     Those 


GENEALOGICAL — ABBOT.  4G5 

wlio  still  advocated  moderate  drinking  urged  the  use 
of  rum  :  the  temperance  people  opposed  its  use.  The 
argument  of  the  moderate  drinkers  was,  that  no  meet- 
ing-house had  ever  been  raised  without  rum,  and  pre- 
dicted that  it  would  not  be  possible  to  rear  the  frame 
without  liquor.  "If  there  are  not  temperance  men 
enough  in  Concord  to  raise  it,  I  will  try  and  find 
them  otherwheres,"  was  the  quiet  reply  of  the  ener- 
getic builder.  "  Send  me  down  a  dozen  or  more  good 
men,"  was  the  message  sent  to  Thomas  Coffin,  who 
had  zealously  espoused  the  temperance  movement. 
The  messenger  who  brought  the  verbal  request  en- 
larged the  same,  and  thought  that  fifty  men  would  be 
needed ;  whereupon  Mr.  Coffin  rallied  the  temperance 
men  of  Boscawen,  and  so  many  were  ready  to  go  that 
the  volunteers  swelled  the  number  to  fully  one  hun- 
dred, who  were  on  the  ground  at  an  early  hour,  and 
reared  the  frame  with  a  zeal  and  alacrity  that  amazed 
those  who  had  predicted  that  it  would  not  be  possible 
to  raise  it  without  the  stimulus  of  rum.  Mr.  Abbot 
d.  at  Concord,  3  Feb.,  1837. 

Julia  Ann  P.,  b.  17  Oct.,  1823;  m.  Henry  C.  Wade,  of  Lowell; 
resides  on  Water  street,  B. 

William  P.,  b.  15  Dec,  1824. 

Emily  E.,  b.  1  Jan.,  1827;  ni.  Leonard  Gerrisli,  of  Xortbfield  [see 
Gerrish  gen.]. 

Georr/e  W.,h.  23  Jan.,  1831. 

Charles  C,  b.  13  Feb.,  1833;  resides  in  Worcester. 

Rogers  A.,  b.  15  July,  1835;  ni.  Anna  Yarney;  resides  in  Wor- 
cester. 

William  P.^  (William,  Col.,*^  Xathan,^  Eeuben^)  m.  Emily  E. 
Uran. 

Frank  W.,  b.  May,  1854;  d.  1  April,  1859. 
George  ^Y.''  (William,  Col.«)  m.  Elvira  Wlnttemore. 

Charles  M.,  Freddie,  George  II. 

Charles  C."  (William,  Col.,*^  Nathan,^  Eeuben-*)  m.  Dorinda  B. 
Stevens. 

Charles  E.,  Arthur,  William  S.,  Dora,  Edmund  S.,  Florelle. 

James  Buswell,  m.  d.^  (Elias,^  Reuben*),  b.  24  June,  1799 ;  m., 
1st,  Nancy  B.  Rogers,  of  Northfield,  15  Nov.,  1827, 
who  died  11  Nov.,  1837;  2d,  Elizabeth  B.  Rogers, 
sister  of  Nancy,  2  Oct.,  1838,  who  died  27  Nov., 
1842;  3d,  Sarah,  dau.  of  Capt.  Joseph  Gerrish,  of 
Canterbury,  22  March,  1843  [see  Gerrish  genealogy]. 
His  father  moved  to  Northfield,  1801.  James  B. 
30 


466  GENEALOGICAL AMES. 

began  his  studies  for  tlie  medical  profession  with  Dr. 
Enos  Hoyt,  of  Northfield,  and  received  the  degree  of 
M.  D.,  at  Dartmoutli,  in  1826.  He  began  practice  in 
Canterbury,  removed  to  Loudon,  but  settled  in  B. 
in  1837,  living  in  the  house  now  occupied  by  S. 
B.  G.  Corser.  In  1832  he  was  elected  Fellow  of  the 
N.  H.  Medical  Society',  and  represented  the  society  in 
a  national  convention  at  Baltimore.  He  died  at  San- 
bornton,  6  Jul}^,  1870,  where  he  had  been  a  prac- 
tising physician  for  several  years. 

Children  of  Elizabeth  : 

James  H.,  b.  3  Oct.,  1839  ;  d.  29  Feb.,  1840. 

James  Henry  White,  b.  30  May,  1842;  d.  12  Jan.,  18G5. 

Child  of  Sarah : 
Joseph  Gerrish,  b.  4  Oct.,  1845. 

AMES. 

Compiled  by  .John  Kimball. 

The  Ames  families  of  Boscav/en  and  Canterbury  probably  came 
from  Amesbur}^,  and  were  related  to  those  of  Bridgewater  and 
Easton,  Mass.  The  name  in  early  records  is  sometimes  spelled 
Amos,  Emos,  and  Eames. 

Jacob^  was  the  earliest  of  the  family  known. 

Samuel,-  b.  1724,  and  his  wife  Hannah,  came  to  Canterbury. 
Died  16  Jan.,  1803.     Hannah  d.  23  Jan.,  1804.     ^ 

Samuel,  b.  1745. 
David,  b.  27  May,  1749. 

Samuel'^  (Samuel,-^  Jacob^)  came  from  Canterbury  to  B. ;  m. 
Jane,  only  sister  of  Col.  Henry  Gerrish,  and  settled 
on  High  street.  He  served  in  the  revolutionary  war, 
at  the  battle  of  Stillwater,  under  Gen.  Gates.  Tra- 
dition says  that  his  wife  and  son  Joseph  carried  on 
the  farm  while  he  went  to  the  war  against  Bur- 
goyne  ;  was  chosen  one  of  the  selectmen  in  1791.  A 
noted  hunter.  Died'l  Sept.,  1825.  Jane,  his  wife,  d. 
30  March,  1814. 

Joseph,  b.  31  May,  1771. 

Hannah,  h.  14  Jan.,  1776;  m.  Stephen  Gerrish,  7  Feb.,  1796;  d. 

18  Nov.,  1834.     [See  Gerrish  gen.] 
Sarah,h.  15  Nov.,  1780;  m.  Nathan  Plummer,  14  June,  1804;  d. 

25  Feb.,  1842. 
Polly,  b.  1783;  d.  7  Dec,  1843,  unmarried. 


GENEALOGICAL AMES.  467 

David^  (Samuel,-  Jacob^)  remained  at  Canterbuiy ;  m.  Phebe 
Hoyt.  They  lived  near  the  meeting-house,  and  after- 
ward moved  to  a  large  farm  in  the  "Borough,"  which 
is  now  in  the  possession  of  his  descendants.  Five  of 
their  daughters  m.  and  settled  in  B.  He  d.  22  Sept., 
1812.     His  wife  d.  30  Oct.,  1838. 

Hannah,  b.  11  Aug.,  1775;  ni.  Joseph  Ames;  d.  18  June,  1827. 
Thomas,  b.  6  Oct.,  1777;  m.  Lucy  Foster;  d.  19  Nov.,  1810. 
Sarah,  b.  9  Dec,  1781  ;  m.  Jacob  Gerrish  ;  d.  23  Oct.,  1818. 
Samuel,  b.  -Id  July,  1781;  m.  Myr;i  Ayers  ;  d.  30  June,  1870. 
Marif,  b.  11  Jan.,  1786  ;  m.  Josiah  Haines  ;  d.  7  Sept.,  1872. 

David,  b.  15  May,  1788;  ni. Fisk ;  d.  July,  1870. 

JMip-a,  b.  28  Sept.,  1792;  m.  Samuel  Tilton:  d.  7  Mar.,  1857. 
Phehe,  b.  21  Jan.,  1795;  m.  Charles  Moody;  d.  6  Sept.,  1862. 
Ruih,  b.  29  July,  1797  ;  m.  Benj.  Kimball ;  d.  22  Oct.,  1871. 
Rhoda,  b.  20  Dec,  1799:  m.  1st,  Ira  Elliott;  2d,  Laban  Morrill; 
d.  10  Sept.,  1869. 

Joseph*  (Samuel,^  Samuel-)  m.  Hannah,  dau.  of  David,^  of  Can- 
terbury, and  resided  on  High  street,  where  he  kept  a 
hotel ;  a  man  highly  esteemed  ;  was  selectman  1812, 
'13,  '14 ;  d.  15  June,  1851.  His  wife  d.  18  June,  1827, 
pe.  48. 

Myra,  b.  4  Jan.,  1801;  m,  Thomas  Little,  2  June,  1829  ;  d.  17 

June,  1869. 
Joseph,  b.  29  June,  1806  ;  d.  20  Sept.,  1826. 
Lucn,  b.  13  Sept.,  1808;  d.  30  Nov.,  1810. 
David,  b.  20  Dec,  1810  ;  lives  West  Creek,  Ind. 
Samuel,  b.  11  July,  1813. 
Nathan  Plummer,  b.  16  June,  1816. 
Stephen,  b.  16  June,  1816  ;  d.  1  Oct.,  1826. 
Phehe  Jane,  b.  22  Dec,  1819  ;  d.  6  Aug.,  1830. 

Samuel^   (Joseph,*  Samuel,'^  Samuel-)  m.  Lizzie  Hubbard ;  lived 
for  a  time  on  the  Walker  farm,  in  Concord ;  moved  to 
West  Creek,  Ind.  ;   represented  his  district  in  the  leg- 
islature of  that  state  1875,  '76. 
Edward  Payson. 
Lizzie. 

Nathan  P.^  (Joseph,*  SamueP)  m.  Elvira,  dau.  of  Thomas  Cof- 
fin, 18  Feb.,  1841 ;  resided  for  a  time  on  the  old 
homestead  inherited  from  his  father,  and  moved  to  Chi- 
cago, 111.  ;  was  colonel  of  the  21st  Regt.  K  H.  Mili- 
tia. 

Livonia  Coffin,  b.  18  April,  1813  ;  m.  Geo.  W.  Ware,  Worcester, 

Mass. 
Charles  Henrv,  b.  5  Feb.,   1817  ;  graduated  at  Amherst  College, 

1870. 
Lucia  Jane,  b.  5  May,  1856. 
Clara  Preston,  b.  13  May,  1859. 


468 


GENEALOGICAL — ATKINSON. 


FisherS  (Tliomas,"  David,^  Samuel,-  Jacob^),  b.  in  Canterbury, 

18  Oct.,  1814  ;  m.  Mary,  dau.  of  Nathan  PlummeT, 
15  Feb.,  1844;  resided  on  Fish  street  for  a  time; 
now  lives  in  Fisherville. 

Sara  P..  h.  10  Jan.,  1845. 

He7v^ij  Gerrlsh,  b.  16  Sept.,  1848;  m.  Emily  L.  Robie,  3  July,  1873: 
1  child,  Grade  Brown,  b.  9  Dec,  1875;  d.  27  July,  1876. 

ATKINSON. 

Compiled  l)y  Sauniel  Barnard  Elliot,  Pataskaln,  O. 

Thomas/  elder  brother  of  Theodore  Atkinson,  of  Boston, — ances- 
tor of  the  distinguished  statesman  of  the  pro^dnce  of 
New  Hamjishire, — came  from  Bury,  Lancashire,  Eng- 
land, and  settled  in  Concord,  Mass.  He  took  the  free- 
man's oath  7  Dec,  1630,  and  d.  in  Nov.,  1646. 

Rebecca,  b.  1638;  ni.  John  Hayward,  of  Concord. 

John,  b.  1G40. 

Susanna,  b.  28  April,  1641;  m.  Caleb  Brooks,  10  April,  1660;  d. 

19  Jan.,  1669. 

Hannah,  b.  5  March,  1644;  ra.  Caleb  Brooks,  1670. 

JoHN^  (Thomas^),  b.  in  Concord,  Mass.,  1640.  After  tlie  death 
of  his  father,  he  was  adopted  by  his  uncle  Theodore, 
of  Boston,  of  whom  he  learned  the  hatters'  trade,  and 
settled  in  Newbury,  INIass.  ;  m.,  1st,  Sarah  INIyrick, 
who  was  mother  of  all  his  children ;  2d,  widow  Han- 
nah Cheney,  3  June,  1700.     She  d.  5  Jan.,  1705. 

Sarah,  h.  27  Nov.  1665 ;  ui.  Stephen  Coffin,  of  Newbury,  Mass., 
1685. 

John,  b.  1667. 

Thomas,  b.  27  Dec,  1669;  grad.  H.  C,  1691. 

Theodore,  b.  23  Jan.,  1672  ;  drowned  24  July,  1685. 

Abigail,  b.  8  Nov.,  1673. 

Samuel,  b.  16  Jan.,  1676. 

Nalhaniel,  b.  29  Nov.,  1677. 

Elizabeth,  b.  20  June,  1680. 

Joseph,  b.  1  May,  1682  ;  killed  by  Indians  in  Maine,  1706  ;  unmar- 
ried. 

Rebecca. 

JoHX^  (John,-  Thomas^),  b.  1667 ;  m.  Sai-ah,  dau.  of  Jonathan 
Woodman.  They  joined  the  Congregational  church 
of  Newbury,  1710. 

Thomas,  b.  16  March,  1694. 
John,  b.  29  Oct.,  1695. 
Theodore,  b.  8  Oct.,  1698. 
Sarah,  b.  6  Nov.,  1700. 
Hannah,  b,  21  Jan.,  1703. 


GENEALOGICAL ATKINSON.  469 


m.  Deborah 
]ongre,sra- 


Xathaxiel"  (John,-  Thomas^),  1>.   29  Nov.,   1677  ;  m. 
Knight,   22  Jan.,   1707.     She  joined    the   C 
tional  churcli,  1729. 

Man/,  I).  1708. 
Sarah,  b.  1710. 
Margaret,  h.  1712. 
Nathaniel,  b.  19  Marcli,  1717. 
Joseph,  h.  28  l^ov.,  1718. 

Xathaxiel*  (Nathanie]^  John,'  Thomas^),  h.  at  jSTewbuiy,  Mass., 
19  March,  1717;  ni.,  1st,  Elizabeth  Greenleaf,  30 
Nov.,  1738.  They  joined  the  First  Congregational 
church  of  Newbury,  1741.  She  d.  in  1755.  M.,  2d, 
Sarah  Morse,  1756.  He  moved  to  B.  hate  in  1769, 
and  d.  there  26  Oct.,  1794. 

Children  of  Elizabeth  : 

Parker,  b.  1  Feb.,  1739. 

Michael. 

3Ian/,h.  18  ^May.  1742;  ni.  Moses  Coffin  ;  died  soon  after. 

Stephen,  b.   15   Dec,    1714;  published   to  Mercy   Clark,   15   Dec, 

1770. 
Elizabeth,  b.  10  Aug.,  1747;  m.,  1st,  Jos.  Adams;  2d, Kowe  ; 

3d,  Jonathan  Morse. 
Sumnna,  b.  11  Aug.,  1750;  died  5  Oct.,  1753. 
Nathaniel,  h.  12  Dec,  l75o. 

Children  of  Sarah : 

Jonathan,  b.  30  Dec.  1756. 

Joseph,  b.  28  April,  1758. 

John,  b.  30  Oct.,  1759;  unmarried;  d.  21  Dec,  1815. 

Benjamin,  b.  7  Jan.,  1761. 

Sarah,  b.  8  Jan.,  1763;  m.  Samuel  Morrill,  28  April,  1785;  d.  27 

Feb.,  1844. 
Mary,    b.    INIay.    1764;  m.    Daniel   Carter,   15  April,  1784;  d.   15 

Sept.,  i854,  set.  90. 
Judith,  b.  1765:  m.  Joseph  H.  Morrill,  24  June,  1790;  d.  3  Dec, 

1797.  ret.  32. 
Eunice,  b.  1767;  m.  Joseph  Kimball. 
Hannah,  d.  young. 
Theodore,  b.  30  Sept.,  1769. 

Joseph*  (Nathaniel,^  John,"^  Thomas^),  b.  in  Newbury,  Mass.,  28 
Nov.,  1718 ;  m.,  1st,  Hannah,  dau.  of  Samuel  Hale,  of 
Newbury,  Mass.,  23  June,  1745.  She  was  b.  24  Jan., 
1720 ;  d.  7  April,  1790.  Her  children  were  first 
cousins  to  Nathan  Hale,  the  martyr  spy,  in  the  war 
of  Independence.  He  moved  to  B.  in  1767,  and  m., 
2d,  :Mrs.  I^Iary  Couch,  who  d.  14  Dec,  1818,  ret.  92. 
He  d.  29  Aug.,  1801,  a?t.  82. 


470  GENEALOGICAL ATKINSON. 

Samuel^  b.  24  Sept.,  1748. 

Simeon,  b.  30  March,  1754. 

Susanna,  b.  15  June,  1758  ;  m.  Edmund  Cliadwick,  27  June,  1778. 

She  d.  10  March,  1829. 
Hannah,h.  15  Julv,  17G0  ;  m.  Joseph  Pearson,  of  Haverhill,  and 

d.  7  Oct.,  1839. 
Sarah,  b.  11  May,  1764  ;  m.  Michael  Johnston,  of  Haverhill. 

Nathaniel^  (Nathaniel,*  Nathaniel,^  Jolm,'^  Thomas^),  b.  in 
Newbury,  Mass.,  12  Dec,  1753  ;  m.  Abigail  Bradley, 
24  Sept.,  1782 ;  she  was  b.  in  Haverhill,  Mass  ,  10 
May,  1760,  and  d.  in  B.  31  Oct.,  1836.  He  d.  in  B. 
4  March,  1841. 

Elizabeth,  h.  1  Sept.,  1784  ;  )n.  Timothy  Copp. 

Isaac,  b.  8  Dec,  1786. 

Mari/,  h.  10   Aug.  1788;  m. Bean,  of  Salisbury;   d.  22  Aug., 

1834. 

Hannah,  b.  19  March.  1791;  m.  ■ Hubbard,  of  Canterbury,  and 

d.  17  July,  183.5. 

Benjamin,  b.  10  Aug.,  1792;  moved  to  Maine;  unmarried. 

Abigail,  b.  2  March,  1798;   m. Laws  ;  d.  in  Peterborough,  4 

Oct.,  1832. 

Jonathan^  (Nathaniel,''  Nathaniel,^  John,-  Thomas^),  b.  in  New- 
bury, Mass.,  30  Dec,  1756 ;  grad.  at  D.  C. ;  m.  Bet- 
sey Pettingill,  6  Feb.,  1794,  and  was  ordained  pastor 
of  the  Congregational  church  in  Limington,  Me.,  15 
Oct.,  same  year ;  d.  27  March,  1837. 

Jonathan,  b.  16  March,  1795,  in  Limington,  Me.,  and  d.  in  Lowell, 

Mas.?.,  11  March.  1852. 
Nathaniel,  b.  16  Aug.,  1796;  d.  IS  Oct.,  1796. 
Nathaniel,  b.  10  Aug.,  1797,   in   Limington,   Me.,  and  d.  there,  29 

March,  1834. 
Richard  P.,  b.  5  April,  1799. 

Joseph^  (Nathaniel,*  Nathaniel,^  John,-  Tliomas^),  b.  in  New- 
bur}-,  Mass.,  28  Ajn-il,  1758;  ni.  Anna  Atkinson, 
grand-dau.  of  his  uncle  Joseph.  He  moved  to  B.  v»ith 
his  father  in  1769,  and  d.  20  March,  1830. 

Peahody,  b.  30  Dec,  1804. 

Hervey,  b.  19  July,  1806;  unmarried;  resides  on  the  old  homestead 
in  B. 

Susan,  b.  12  March,  1808;  m.  Geo.  Jolinston,  of  Haverliill. 

Henry,  b.  10  July,  1809;  m.  Mary,  dau.  of  his  uncle  Theodore,  and 
d.  5  April,  1864. 

Ann,    b.    30  July,   1812;  m.  ]Michael   Jolmston,   of  Haverhill;  d. 
April,  1859. 
Benjamin^  (Nathaniel,*  Nathaniel,^  John,'^  Thomas^),  b.  7  Jan., 

1761 ;  m.  Jane  Varney  8  Jul}^,  1784  ;  lived  in  B. 
^        Sarah,  b.  19  July,  1785;  m.  Dyer  Abbot,  of  Henniker. 

James  Varney,  b.  9  Dec,  1787;  d.  1875,  in  Lowell,  Mass. 

Ja7ie,  b.  30  June,  1791;  d.  in  Rochester,  N.  Y. 


^cw 


\A^L4d-rh 


GENEALOGICAL ATKINSON.  471 

Theodore^  (Nathaniel,*  Nathaniel/  John,^  Thomas^),  b.  in  New- 
bury, Mass.,  30  Sept.,  1769;  m.  Abiah  Kimball,  4 
Sept.,  1803;  lived  in  Boscawen,  and  d.  30  Sept.,  1828. 

Peter  Kimball,  b.  20  July,  1804;  d.  20  March,  1817. 
Fanny    b.  April,  1807;  ra.  Sullivan  Jackinan,  1837;  d.  1844. 
George  W.,  b.  March,  1810;  unmarried. 
Mary,  b.  April,  1S14;  m.  Henry  Atkinson,  Dec,  1842. 
Ruth,  b.  1818;  d.  1822. 
Abiah,  b.  1821;  m.  Henry  Rolfe. 
Samuel^  (Joseph,*  Nathaniel,^  John,-  Thomas^),  b.  in  NeAvbury, 

Mass.,  24  Sept.,  1748,  and  lived  in  B.     He  served  as 

a  lieutenant  and  captain  in  the  war  of  Independence ; 

m.  Sarah  Bamford,  of  Sanbornton,  1777 ;  d.   4  Oct., 

1796.     She  d.  30  Jan.,  1843,  cTt.  87. 

Joaeph,  b.  6  Dec,  1777. 

Susanna,  b.  30  Oct.,  1779;  d.  1804. 

Anna,  b.  18  April,  1782;  m.  Joseph  Atkinson. 

Nathaniel  Peahndy,  b.  15  Jan.,  1785. 

Samuel,  b.  27  Sept.,  1788. 

Jacob,  b.  30  Dec,  1790;  unmarried;  grad.  at  Brown  University; 
d.  13  Feb.,  1836. 
Simeon^  (Joseph,*  Nathaniel,^  John,"^  Thomas^),  b.  in  Newbury, 
Mass.,  30  March,  1754 ;  moved  to  B.  with  his  father, 
and  settled  on  Fish  street,  in  1767  ;  m.  Phebe  Clark, 
23  April,  1781 ;  d.  24  Feb.,  1827.  She  d.  2  April, 
1830. 

Silas,  b.  28  Dec,  1781. 

Daniel  Clark,  b.  8  Sept.,  1784. 

Simeon,  b.  10  Feb.,  1791;  unmarried;  d.  20  Aug.,  1865. 

Hannah,  h.  8  July,  1795;  m.  James  H.  Gill,  12  Aug.,  1830;  d.  22 
July,  1850. 

Hale,  b.  3  March,  1799;  unmarried;  d.  15  April,  1874. 

Isaac*'  (Nathaniel,^  Nathaniel,*  Nathaniel,^  John,"-^  Thomas^),  b.  6 

Dec,  1786;  m. Bean  ;  d.  27  Jan.,  1858. 

Bradley,  b.  10  May,  1810. 
Peabody*^  (Joseph,^  Nathaniel,*  Nathaniel,^  John,-  Thomas^),  b. 
in  B.  30  Dec,  1804  ;  m.   Marenda   Elliot,  of  B.,  31 
•     Oct.,  1831  ;  moved  to   Ohio,  and  settled  in  Licking 
Co.     He  d.  at  Pataskala,  8  July,  1863.     She  d.  3  May, 
1866. 
Mary  Frances,  b.  4  Nov.,  1832. 
Wiliiam  Henry,  b.  26  Nov.,  183G;  d.  25  July,  1839. 
Joseph,  h.  23  Jan.,  1839. 
Georcjc  Johnston,  b.  22  Feb.,  1841. 
Samuel  Peabody,  b.  24  Nov.,  1843;  grad.  D.  C,   1866;  m.   Irene 

Schobe;  lives  in  Champaign  Co.,  111. 
Annie  Louisa,  b.  16  Nov.,  1847;  d.  5  July,  1848. 
Nettie  Eliza,  b.  9  Jan.,  1852;  d.  March,  1856. 


472  GENEALOGICAL ATKINSON. 

Joseph*^  (Sauiuel,^  Joseph,^  Nathaniel,^  John,^  Thomas^),  b.  in  B., 

6  Dec,   1777;    m.    Sarah   Blaisdell,   1807.     He  was 

colonel  of  the  21st  Eegt.  N.  H.  Militia.     He  d.  28 

Feb.,  1845. 
Hiram  Lang,  b.  1807. 

FranlcUn  Peabodi/,  b.  6  June,  1810;  m.  Irene  Hosiner;  no  cliildren. 
Amanda,  h    12   Dec,  1812;  m.   Dr.  James   Ewing,  of  Hebron,  O., 

Nov.,  1835.     She  d.  1815. 
Nathaniel   Peabody'^   (Samuel,^  Joseph,*  Nathaniel,^    John,^ 

Thomas^),  b.  in  B.  15  Jan.,  1785 ;  m.  Betsey  D.,  dau. 

of  Michael  and  Sarah  Atkinson  Johnston,  8  Oct.,  1827  ; 

lived  in  Ohio  Co.,  W.  Va. ;  d.  13  Nov.,  1868. 
diaries  Peahody,  b.  8  Oct.,  1828. 
Hale  Johnston,  b.  31  Jan.,  1830;  d.  25  Aug.,  1832, 
Sarah  Johnston,  b.  26  Jan.,  1834. 
Julia  Amanda,  b.  25  Nov.,  1835. 
Augusta  Hale,  b.  25  Sept.,  1838;  d.  13  Feb.,  1810. 
Samuel  B.,  b.  24  Aug.,  1840;  d.  30  July,  1844. 
Edward  Melancthon,  b.  3  May,  1842. 
Helen  Maria,  b.  14  April,  1845. 

Hamuei/  (Samuel,^  Joseph,*  Nathaniel,^  John,-  Thomas^),  b.  in  B. 
27  Sept.,  1788  ;  grad.  at  Brown  University ;  m.,  1st, 
Lucy  Moulton,  13  May,  1819  ;  2d,  Mary  Chase 
Moulton,  22  July,  1822  ;  3d,  Maria  Withington,  17 
March,  1825.  Resided  in  Chillicothe,  0.,  Wheeling, 
W.  Va.,  and  Pataskala,  0. 

Lucg  Moulton,  b.  in  Chillicothe,  O.,  13  Dec,  1820;  m.  Dr.  Wm- 
W.  Sanger,  28  Dec,  1849. 

Charles  Hammond,  b.  26  Jan.,  1824;  d.  19  Aug.,  1824. 

Mary  Moulton,  b.  31  July,  1827  ;  d.  20  July,  1828. 

Sarah  Ann,  b.  at  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  11  Feb.,  1829;  d.  15  Feb., 
1840. 

William  Edgerton,  b.  at  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  25  June,  1832. 

Mary  TF.,  b.  11  May,  1835;  m.  Jonas  Aylsworth  ;  d.  at  Attica, 
Ind.,  9  Sept.,  1877. 

Samuel  Peahody,  b.  9  Dec,  1836;  d.  23  July,  1838. 

Henry  Martyn,  b.  9  Sept.,  1838. 

Susan  Lamlxlin,  b.  8  Jan.,  1841  ;  d.  young. 

Maria  Sumner,  b.  5  June,  1843;  d.  20  Dec,  1844. 

SiLAS^  (Simeon,^  Joseph,*  Nathaniel,^  John,"  Thomas^),  b.  28 
Dec,  1781;  m.,  1st,  Dorothy  Shepard ;  2d,  Sally 
Hutchins.     He  d.  at  Sanbornton,  25  Sept.,  1837. 

Dorothy, h.  28  March,  1812;  m.  Samuel  A.  Ambrose,  23  Nov., 
1836;  d.  23  Mny,  1870. 

Atherates,h.  14  Feb.,  18^5. 

Asenath  H.,  b.  17  March,  1817  ;  m.  John  M.  Whicher,  of  North- 
field,  19  Nov.,  1840. 

Alexander  Wellington,  b.  1  Feb.,  1819;  d.,  at  Youiiers,  N.  Y.,  23 
March,  1839. 


GENEALOGICAL ATKINSON.  473 

Horatio  Nelson,  b.  20  July,  1832. 

Hanndi,  b.  7  Sept.,  1827;  drowned  25  Aug.,  1830. 

Simeon  Aristides,  b.  25  Sept.,  1830. 
Daniel  Clakk^  (Simeon,^  Joseph,*  Nathaniel,^  John,^  Thomas^), 
b.  8  Sept.,  1784.  His  talents,  early  developed,  in- 
duced his  father  to  jdace  him  under  the  instruction  of 
Eev.  Dr.  Wood,  where  he  was  fitted  for  and  entered 
Dartmouth  college,  in  1802.  His  college  life  was 
characterized  by  industry,  sobriety,  and  fidelity,  and 
in  1806  he  graduated  with  a  full  share  of  the  "honors 
of  his  class.  Soon  after,  he  entered  tlie  law  office  of 
Daniel  Webster,  of  Boscawen,  as  a  student,  to  receive 
the  guidance  and  instruction  of  that  distinguished 
lawyer  and  civilian,  then  in  the  morning  of  his  intel- 
lectual superiority.  Eemaining  there  until  Mr.  Web- 
ster removed  to  Portsmouth,  he  continued  his  legal 
studies  with  Parker  Noyes,  of  Salisbury  (now  Frank- 
lin). After  three  years'  pre^jaration  with  Mr.  Web- 
ster and  Mr.  Noyes,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1809,  when  he  opened  an  office  at  Sanbornton  Bridge 
(now  Tilton),  which  he  occupied  until  his  death.  He 
was  elected  to  the  senate  and  council  for  successive 
years,  when  he  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Morrill  judge 
of  probate  for  old  Strafford  county,  comprising  what 
is  now  Strafford,  Belknap,  and  Carroll  counties — an 
office  he  held  until  1839.  His  public  services  cover  a 
period  of  nineteen  years.  After  his  death,  Hon.  Ly- 
man B.  Walker  said  of  him, — "  His  heart  and  hand 
were  unaffectedly^  open  as  day  to  melting  charity. 
Where  can  the  poor  man,  the  widow,  and  the  orphan 
now  find  a  living  heart  so  feeling  and  ready  to  relieve 
as  was  his  ?  To  the  traveller  long  accustomed  to  pass 
through  that  interesting  village,  what  can  he  see  that 
does  not  remind  him  of  Daniel  Clark  Atkinson?  Is 
it  the  Academy?  He  obtained  its  charter,  and  more 
than  helped  to  build  that  institution.  Is  it  the  two 
churches  to  be  seen  there?  In  them,  too,  he  lives  as 
first  patron.  With  most  there  seen  is  mingled  the 
memory  of  his  originating,  devising,  and  helping  hand, 
to  bring  them  into  sight  and  usefulness.  The  doors 
of  his  house  and  heart  were  never  closed  against  the 
oppressed  and  suffering,  b}^  night  or  by  day.  His 
surviving  neighbors,  few,  very  few,  of  his  acquaint- 
ance, can  withhold  the  tribute  of  a  tear  to  moisten  the 
cypress  that  waves  over  his  tomb."  M.,  1st,  Mahala 
Tiltdn  ;  2d,  Mehitable,  her  sister.  He  d.  5  April, 
1842. 


474  GENEALOGICAL ATKINSON. 

Child  of  Mahala, : 
Napoleon  Bonaparte,  b.  14  April,  1819. 

Cliildren  of  Mehitable : 
Mahala  T.,  b.  26  Feb.,  1833:  d.  12  Dec,  1851. 

Josephine  B.,h.2o  Oct.,   1835;  m.   John   H.  Goodale;  resides  in 
Nashua;  three  children, — one,  Charlotte  Atkinson,  living. 
Charlotte,  b.  29  Dec,  1837  ;  music  teacher  in  Concord. 

Richard^  (Jonathan,^  jSTatlianiel,*  Nathaniel,'^  John,^  Tliomas^), 

h.  and  lived  on  the  old  homestead,  in  Limington,  Me.; 

m.  Alice  Gerry,  15  Oct.,  1837 ;  d.  2  Dec,  1865. 

Nathaniel,  b.  17  Oct..  1838  ;  d.  12  May,  1873,  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

John  P.,  b.  U  Dec,  1810;  d.  9  Nov.,  1802,  Leesburg,  Va.,  while  in 

the  service  of  liis  country.    ■ 
William  II.,  b.  29  Jan.,  1812. 

Elizabeth,  b.  27  Jan.,  1841;  m.  Ezra  Miles,  Jr.,  of  Limington,  ]Me. 
Anna  J.,  b.  31  Oct.,  1851  ;  ni.  P.  S.  Griffith,  of  Boston. 

Bradley'  (Isaac,®  Nathaniel,^  Natlianiel,''  Nathaniel,'"'  John," 
Thomas^),  b.  10  May,  ISIU ;  m.,  1st,  Hannah  Tucker, 
19  Dec,  1838,  who  \l.  1850  ;  2d,  Sugan  S.  Thurston, 
11  May,  1852  ;  resides  in  Boscawen. 

Elvira  C.  b.  8  Nov.,  1839. 

Edmund  W.,  b.  10  Jan..  1843. 

Edwin  B.,  h.  3  May,  1817. 

George  C,  h.  22  May,  1858. 

Joseph^    (Peabody,®    Joseph,^    Nathaniel,*    Nathaniel,^    John,- 

Thomas^),  b.  23  Jan.,  1839 ;  m.  Julia  C,  dau.  of  Dr. 

James  Ewing,  of  Hebron,  0.,  10  Oct.,  1872.     He  re- 

,  sides  on  the  homestead,  from  which  his  father  cleared 

the  primeval  forest,  near  Pataskala,  0. 

Charles  Ewing,  b.  20  July,  1873. 
Florence  Elliot,  b.  14  April,  1875. 
Frank  Peahody,  b.  1  April,  1877. 

George   Johnsto^^'^  (Peabody,*^  Joseph,^  Nathaniel,*  Nathaniel,^' 
John,- Thomas^),  b.  22  Feb.,  1841;  grad.  at  Marietta 
College,    18G4  ;     attorney-atdaw,    Columbus,    0.  ;    m. 
Madge  R.  McGeah,  12  Sept.,  1872. 
John  Guy  McGeah,  b.  9  Sept.,  1873. 
Ethel  Elliot,  b.  13  Feb.,  1876. 

Hiram    Lang'^   (Joseph,*^  Samuel,^  Joseph,*  Nathaniel,^   John,'^ 
Thomas^),  b.  in  B.,  1807;  resided  in  Licking  Co.,  0.  ; 
m.  Elizabeth  Beach,  April,  1839  ;  d.  Dec,  1840,     She 
d.  Feb.,  1841. 
Martha  Beach,  b.  June,  1840;  d.  1864. 

William  Edgerton''  (Samuel,®  Samuel,^  Joseph,*  Nathaniel, '^ 
John,^  Thomas^)  b.  at  Wheeling,   W.  Va.,  25  June, 


GENEALOGICAL ATKINSON.  475 

1832;  m.  Mary   Frances,  dau.  of  Pealjody   Atkinson, 

28  Dec,  1857  •  resides  in  Newark,  0. 
Alice  WitJdnfjfon,  h.  6  Nov.,  1858. 

Samuel  McClellan,}    ,     ,„     .      .,    ,„.,      ^  d-  1  Nov.,  186:1. 
Thomas  Peahody,    j    ^-  ^'    ^^P'"'''  1^'^^'    \  d.  17  Oct.,  ISGo. 
Nathaniel  Peabo'li/,  h.  11  Oct.,  18G4. 
William  Harry,  b.  9  Jan.,  1870. 

Henry  Martyn'^  (Samuel,'^  8amnel,^  Josepli,"*  ISTatlianiel,^  Jolm,"'^ 
Thomas^),  b.  at  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  9  Sept.,  1838  ;  m. 
Kate,  dan.  of  Hon.  Thomas  W.  Tipton,  of  Brownville, 
Neb.  He  is  now  surveyor-general  of  the  territory  of 
ISTew  Mexico,  and  resides  at  Santa  Fe. 
Alice. 

Atharates'^  (Silas,*'  Simeon,^  Joseph,^  Nathaniel,^  John,-  Thom- 
as^),  b.  in  B.,  14  Feb.,  1815 ;  m.  Martha  Jane  Fort,  of 
Milledgeville,  Ga.,  25  Dec,  1839  ;  resides  in  Madison, 
Cla. 

Charles  Bacon,  b.  21  Sept.,  1840. 

Alfred  Overton,  b.  13  Dec,  1811. 

Marcellus,  b.  ]  May,  1843. 

Alexander  Wellington,  b.  22  Jane,  1814. 

Helen  Oleliea,  b.  22  Sept.,  1815. 

Silas  Fort,  b.  12  July,  1847. 

Hale  Arisddes,  b.  14'Nov.,  1818. 

Eugene  Judson,  b.  13  June,  1850. 

Everett  Gill,  b.  11  April,  1852. 

Cora  Virginia,  b.  12  Oct..  1853. 

Rom  Bell,  b.  22  Sept.,  1855. 

Millard  Fillmore,  b.  15  Oct.,  1856. 

Paul  Foster,  b.  18  Sept.,  1858. 

Beatrice  May,  b.  26  Jan.,  1860. 

Horatio  Nelson'^  (Silas,''  Simeon,^  Joseph,*  Nathaniel,^  John,- 
Thomas^),  b.  in  B.  20  July,  1822 ;  ni.  Susan  Pearson 
Durgin,  10  Nov.,  1846 ;  resides  in  Tilton. 

Frances  Maria,  b.  28  Oct.,  1849:  d.  10  July,  1863. 

Leroy  Samuel,  b.  31  March,  1852. 

Simeon  Aristides'^  (Silas,^  Simeon,^  Joseph,*  Nathaniel,^  John,"-^ 
Thomas^),  b.  in  Sanbornton,  25  Sept.,  1830 ;  m.  Mary 
Etholinda  Potter,  of  Madison,  Ga.,  a  native  of  St. 
Croix,  W.  I.,  8  Oct.,  1851. 

Frank  Hale,  b.  in  Marietta,  Ga.,  6  July,  1852. 

Alice  Louisa,  b.  in  Marietta,  Ga.,  25  Dec,  1854;  d.  4  March,  1875. 

Sally  Hutchins,  b.  in  Augusta,  Ga.,  7  June,  1857. 

Leora  Etholinda,  b.  in  Augusta,  Ga.,  15  Sept.    1859. 

Simeon  Arthur,  b.  in  Augusta,  Ga.,  15  Jan.,  1862. 

Marie  Eddrienne,  b.  in  Madison,  Ga.,  4  Sept.,  1864. 

Katie  Lena,  h.  in  Athens,  Ga.,  27  Nov.,  1871. 

CoraAdelia,  b.  in  Mount  Vernon,  N.  Y.,  15  Jan.,  1875. 


476  GENEALOGICAL BISHOP,    BURBANK. 

Napoleon  Boxapaete"  (Daniel  Olark,''   Simeon,^  Joseph,*  Na- 
thaiiiel,^  John,-  Thomas^),  b.  in  Sanhornton,  14  April, 
1819 ;  m.    Zapharine    Robinson,   of    Sanbornton ;    re- 
sides in  Madison,  Ga. 
Mary  Ella,  b.  23  March,  1855;  d.  24  July,  1855. 

William  H.^  (Richard  P.,*'  Jonatlian,^  Nathaniel,*  Nathaniel,^ 
John,^  Thomas^),  b.  29  Jan.,  1842  ;  ni.  Mary  H.  Cui- 
rier,  9  Jan.,  1868  ;  resides  in  Chelsea,  Mass. 

Georqe  T.,  b.  0  Nov.,  18G8. 

Artlmr  P.,  b.  21  Nov.,  1870;  d.  4  Jan.,  1876. 

Louisa  F.,  h.  27  June,  1873. 

BISHOP. 

Bishop,  Josiaii.^  One  of  the  first  settlers  of  B.  He  was  cap- 
ured  by  the  Indians  in  1740,  at  the  south  end  of  King 
st.,  while  at  work  in  his  tield,  taken  into  the  woods, 
and  killed.      [See  Civil  Hist.] 

Exos,-  son  of  Josiah,  ni.  Elizabeth  Bel]an\y,  of  Newbury,  21 
Nov.,  1749.  In  1754,  when  the  Indians  attacked  the 
house  of  Philij)  Call,  at  South  Franklin,  he  was  one  Ox 
the  party  sent  in  pursuit  of  the  savages,  and  was  cap- 
tured [see  Hist.]  and  taken  to  Canada,  from  whence 
he  made  his  escape  ;  enlisted  in  Revolutionary  service. 
Col.  Cilley's  reg't ;  was  in  battles  of  Saratoga  and 
Stillwater  ;  d,  in  the  army,  8  Aug.,  1778. 

Jonah,  b.  7  Oct.,  1750. 
Susannah,  b.  5  Dec,  1753. 

John,  b.  10  Dec.  1757;  son  of  a  second  wife, — Anna. 
Elizabeth,  b.  31  Jan..  17G0. 
Sarah,  b.  31  Jan.,  1762;  ni.  Ezekiel  Flanders. 
Hannah,  b.  17  May,  1761. 
Benjamin,  h.  22  Oct.,  1766. 

Enos,  b.  21  Nov.,  1769.     The  family  moved  to  Lisbon,  N.  II.,  in 
1769. 

BURBANK. 

Joseph^  came  to  America  in  the  ship  Abigail,  from  London,  1635. 
He  spelled  his  name  Barebanke.  He  is  registered  as 
being  24  years  old  at  the  time.  It  is  not  known 
Avhere  he  settled. 

JoHN,^  of  Haverhill,  probably  was  his  son.  He  married  15  Oct., 
1663,  Susanna,  dau.  Nathan  Morrill.  He  moved  from 
Haverhill  to  Sulfield,  1680. 


GENEALOGICAL BURBANK.  477 

Moses/  Capt.  It  is  supposed  tliat  he  was  grandson  of  John. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  B.,  and  came  from 
Bradford,  Mass.,  1733.  He  m.  Sarah  Emery,  probably 
sister  of  Edward  Emery,  a  first  settler  of  B. 

Moses,  h.  26  June,  1741;  m.  Sarah  Danfortli. 

Samuel,  h.  Ang..  17-45;  m.  Eunice  Pettingill. 

Nnlhanlel,  b.  14  Dec.  1747;  m.  Mary  Durgin. 

Molly,  b.  22  Feb.,  1749  ;  m.  Cutting  Noyes;  resided  in  B. 

David,  b.  4  July,  1754;  d.  4  Nov.,  1815." 

Wells,  b.  8  Aug.,  1756.     He  lived  at  one  time   on   Water  st.,  in  a 

log  house,  on  land  now  owned  by  G.  W.  Fisher  ;    taught 

school. 
Sarah,  b.  Sept.,  1758;  ra.  Benjamin  Blanchard. 
Beiti/,  b.  1  Dec,  1760;  m.  Benjamin  Bolter. 
Eleazer,  h.  19  Jan.,  1763;  m.  Abigail  Burbank. 

MosES^  (Moses,*  Capt.),  b.  1741;  m.  Mary' Danf orth. 

Josiah,h.'30  June,    1761 ;.  probably   taught  school  in  West  Bos- 

cawen,  1784. 
Nathaniel,  h.  1  Sept.,  1763. 
Jonathan,  b.  29  May,  1765;  m.  Salome  Cass. 
Daniel,  b.  4  Jan.,    1767;  m.   Hannah  Eastman.     He   was    school 

teacher  in  1788. 
Stephen,  b.  3  Feb.,  1768;  d.  same  year. 
Stephen,  b.  1769;  m.  Mary  Garvcn. 
Silas,  b.  10  Marcli,  1771  ;  d.  in  the  army. 
Priscilla,  h.  8  April,  1773;  m.  Jedediah  Danfortli. 
Hazen,  b.  18  Oct.,  1775. 
Hannah,  b.  12  April,  1779. 
Moses,  h.  4  Jan.,  1781. 

Samuel^  (Moses,*  Capt ),  b.  Aug.,  1745 ;  m.  Eunice  Pettingill. 
Joseph,  b.  23  Aug.,  1771;  unmarried. 
Sarah,  b.  28  Aug.,  1773;  m.  Caleb  Colman. 
Eunice,  b.  2  May,  1775. 

Samuel,  b.  25  March,  1777;  m.  Molly  Jackmau. 
Moses,  b.  12  Oct.,  1778. 
Judith,  h.  25  Sept.,  1780;  m.  David  Corser. 

Josiah,  b.  11  July,  1782;  ni.  Chandler. 

Jonathan,  b.  11  April,  1784. 
Nathan,  b.  24  Feb.,  1786. 
Elizabeth,  b.  6  June,  1788. 

Caleb,  Rev.,  b.  12  Aug.,  1792;  m.,  1st,  Elizabeth  Gillet,  Kingsville, 
O.,  1830;  2d,  Delphia  Harris,  Florence,  O.,  1833. 

:N'athanielS  (Mose.s,*  Capt.),  b.  1747 ;  m.  Mary  Durgin. 
John,  b.  10  Aug.,  1778. 

David^  (Moses,*  Capt.),  b.  4  July,  1754 ;  m.,  1st,  Mary  Little, 

dau.  of  Enoch  Little  ;  2d,  Dorothy  Lowell.     He  built 

and  lived  in  the  parsonage  on  Boscawen  Plain,  moved 

from  thence  to  Bashan,  to  the  farm  now  owned  by 

I  ol 


478  GENEALOGICAL — BURBANK. 

Azro  S.  Burbank,  thence  to  the  house  now  occupied 
by  Friend  L.  Burbank,  thence  to  "  Schoodic,"  in  War- 
ner, where  he  d. 

Children  of  Mary  : 

Sarah,  b.  9  Feb..  1779;  m.  Moses  Smitli,  Salisbury. 
Abigail,  b.  20  jiarch,  1780  ;  d.  18  July,  181^5. 
Abraham,  b.  IG  Nov.,  1781;  d.  U  Jan.,  1856. 
Eliezer,  b.  1  Jan.,  1785  ;  m.  Dru.silla  Flanders,  of  B. 
Little,  b.  2  Feb.,  1787;  d.  17  Nov.,  1870. 
Jesse,  b.  13  June,  1790;  d.  in  U.  S.  Navy. 
Enoch,  b.  20  July,  1793  ;  moved  to  Michigan. 
Judith,  b.  10  July,  1798  ;  m.  Benj.  Carter,  of  B. 

Children  of  Dorothy  : 

2Iicah,m.  Mary  Eastman. 
Mary,  m.  True  Jone.*. 

Wells^  (Moses/  Capt.),  b.  1756. 

3Iolh/,h.  2  Sept.,  1784. 
Betsei/,  b.  2G  Feb.,  1787. 
Eiiezer,  b.  13  Nov.,  1788. 

Abraham^  (David^)  m.,  1st,  Mary  Call ;  2d,  Polly,  dan.  of  Benj. 
Jackman,  of  B.     [See  Biog.] 

Children  of  Mary : 

Friend  IJllle,  b.  29  June,  1800. 
Joanna  Call,  h.  5  Marcli,  1808;  d.  19  Feb.,  1843. 
Mary  Little,  h.  16  Nov.,  1809  ;  m.  Woodman  Jackman,  of  B. 
Sophronia  Gerrish,  b.  25  Aug.,  1812;  d.  22  Feb.,  1847. 
Judith  Call,  h.  2  Nov.,  1815;  m.  J.  Warren  Jackman  :  d.  21   Nov., 
1847. 

Children  of  Polly : 

George  Washington,  b.  29*  June,  1819;  d.  16  May,  1873. 

David  Emory,  b.  16  May,  1822. 

Bitfield  Plummer,  b.  1  March,  1824;  d.  in  Cab,  1860. 

Abraham  Pettingill,  b.  2  Nov.,  1825;  m.  Augusta  Itunnels,  of  B. ; 
resides  in  Cal. 

Azro  Sheridan,  b.  29  Aug.,  1827. 

EzeJciel  Webster,  b.  16  June,  1829  ;  m.,  1st,  Martha  A.  Pillsbnry, 
of  B. ;  2d,  Emelie  Hunkins,  of  Sanbornton  ;  volunteer  16th 
N.  n.  Reg't;  d.  on  the  Mississippi,  1863. 

Amanda  Jane,  b.  11  June,  1831 ;  m.  Horatio  N.  Webber,  of  B. 

Little/  Capt.  (David,'^  Moses,*  Capt.)  m.  Judith  C,  dan.  of  Joshua 
Jackman.     [See  Biog.] 

Lucretia  Little,  b.  13  April,  1819  ;  d.  12  Dec,  1838. 
Hannah  Farmer,  b.  27  Sept.,  1821  ;  d.  19  Feb.,  1842. 
Emulous  Warren,  b.  20  Nov.,  1825. 
Calvin  3Iorris,  b.   16  Juue,   1832;  d.    May,  1860. 


GENEALOGICAL — BURPEE.  479 

Friend  Little"  (ALi-aliam,"  DavicF)  m.  Dorothy  Jacknian,  of  B. 
[See  Biog.] 
Lucretia  Little,  h.  21  i\[ay,  1840;  d.  10  Auo-.,  1861. 
William  Wirt,  b.  13  Sept.,  1842. 
Joanna  Clough,  b.  22  June,  18i6;  d.  23  Dec.,  1848. 
Irvin  Abram,  b.  18  April,  lSi>i. 
Almon  Friend,  h.  17  Oct.,  18r>7. 

David  E.^  (Abraham,^  David^)  ra.   Mary  Elliot,   of  Canterbury  ; 

residesat  ]STorwich,Vt. ;  Lieut.  16th  K.  H.  A^^Iunteers. 

[See  Biog.] 
Alma  M.,  b.  1  Jan.,  1847;  m.  William  Walton,  Phila. 
Emily,  b.  23  Sept.,  1848  ;  m.  AVm.  T.  Strout,  Manchester,  N.  H. 
Ann  M..  h.  24  May,  ISoO. 
Winfidd  S.,  h.  27  Jan.,  1852  ;  d.  13  Feb.,  1852. 
Charles  E.,  b.  19  Jan.,  1856  ;  d.  19  Nov.,  1857. 
William  E.,  b.  19  June,  1860. 
Alfred  P.,  b.  26  Feb.,  1863;  d.  15  May,  1877. 
Cora  E.,  b.  8  Nov.,  1864. 

AzKO  Sheridan"  (Ahraham,«  David^)  m.  Emeh'ne  S.  Burpee,  of 
B. ;  resides  in  Webster. 
Carrie  Maud,  b.  6  Jan.,  1865. 
Effa  Aden,  b.  28  April,  1869. 

Emulous  W.^  (Little,«  David^)  m.   Mary  A.  Eunnels  ;  resides  in 
Lawrence,  Mass. 
Alvin  H.,  b.  30  July,  1851 ;  ra.  Ella  Hustus,  of  Lawrence,  Mass. 
Anna  Aufjusta,  b.  19  Oct.,  1861  ;  d.  6  Dec.    1861. 
Ernest  Wilcox,  h.  29  Oct.,  1863.  ' 

Calvin  Morris^  (Little,«David5)  m.  Louisa  Kichols.    [See  Biog.] 
Louisa  Nichols,  b.  29  June,  1856. 

William    Wirt^  (Friend  L.,«  Abraham")  m.   Ellen  I\L   Dow,  of 
Concord. 
Ellen  Lucretia,  b.  12  June,  1867. 
Sarah  Chandler,  b.  2  June,  1869. 
Alice  Mabel,  b.  4  June,  1871. 

BUKPEE. 

Compiled  by  Augustus  Burpee,  of  New  llamptou. 

Jeremiah,!  b.  inCandia,  1748  ;  m.  Elizabeth,  dau.  of Max- 
field;  settled  first  in  Sandwich,  afterwards  in  Epping; 
moved  to  B.,  1792,  on  to  a  farm  since  owned  by  Solo- 
mon Arey.     He  w^as  a  brickmaker  by  trade. 

Betsey,  d.  young. 

Jeremiah,  b.  1781. 

Nathaniel,  b.  1783. 

Betsey. 


480  GENEALOGICAL BURPEE. 

Eliphalet,  d.  at  French  Mills,  Ca. 

Esther,  m.  Jolm  Jackinan  ;  d.  G  Dec,  1850. 

Martha^  m.  Caleb  Jackman. 

Jeremiah-  (Jeremiah^)  m.  Nancy  Wells,  of  Loudon,  1804  ;  set- 
tled near  the  "  Gulf,"  on  the  turnpike,  where  he  car- 
ried on  the  pottery  and  brick-making  business  until 
his  death,  16  Nov.,  1862.  His  wife  was  thrown  from 
the  Gulf  bridge  and  killed,  27  Dec,  1817.  He  m.,  2d, 
Sally  D.,  dau.  of  William  Gill,  28  April,  1818. 

Children  of  Nancy  : 

Eliza,  b.  4  Feb.,  1805  ;  m.  John  Knowlton. 

Judith  W.,  b.  8  March,  1807;  ni.  Reuben  Goodwin,  of  Concord. 

Joshua  W.,h.28  April,  1809;  m.  Mary  Ann  Webster,  of  Salis- 
bury, 1  JaT).,  1833;  d.  23  Dec,  1839. 

Leivis,  b.  1811;  d.  10  Nov.,  1813. 

Augustus,  b.  12  July,  1812;  ni.  Sarah,  dau.  of  Benjamin  Robinson, 
of  New  Hampton,  25  Sept.,  1837,  where  they  now  reside. 
Member  of  the  legislature,  1875.     Three  cliildren. 

Roxa,  b.  3  Feb.,  1815;  m.  James  II.  Peabody,  of  Methuen,  Mass. 

Mary  .S.,  b,  9  Feb.,  1817  ;  m.  Hiram  Simpson,  24  March,  1836. 

Children  of  Sally  : 

WelL'i,  b.  29  Dec,  1818;  d.  22  Feb.,  1819. 

Ruth,  b.  4  July,  1820;  d.  10  Dec,  1833. 

Samuel  G.,h.'i  Aug.,  1822;  m.  Betsey  E.  Patch. 

Jeremiah,  b.  20  July,  1824;  m.  Ann  E.  Reed. 

Sail]/  Anji.,  h.  15  Oct.,  1827;  m.  Levi   Carter,  19  Dec.  1860;  d.  6 

Aug.,  1806. 
James  G.,  b.  3  June,  1830;  m.  Rebecca  E.  Jackson,  6  March,  1863; 

d.  27  July,  1876. 
John  G.,  b.  1  Aug.,  1832:  d.  15  March,  1859. 
Grace  Ann,  b.  28  Feb.,  1835;  d.  1840. 
Infant,  b.  and  d.  Nov.,  1836. 
Daniel  Webster,  b.  8  June,  1838;  d.  1839. 
Martha  J.,  b.  4  Oct.,  1811;  m.  Geo.  L.  Raymond,  14  Dec,  1861. 

Nathaniel,^  b.  27  Eeb.,  1782  ;  m.  Catharine  Griffin,  of  Deer- 
field,  1803 ;  moved  to  Cambridge,  Mass.,  in  1825 ;  d. 
there  4  Aug.,  1868. 

Thomas  G.,  b.  16  Oct.,  1805;  d.  22    April,  1807. 

Joseph  E.,  b.  1  Feb.,  1807;  m.  Belinda  Woodbury,  8  Jan.,  1835. 

Fanny  G.,  b.  17  Nov.,  1H09;  d.  Marcli,  1877. 

Nathaniel,  b.  21  April,  1812;  d.  19   Oct.,  1836. 

Eliphalet,  b.  25  Feb.,  1814  ;  m.  Jane  Masterman. 

Catharine,  b.  23  Feb.,  1817;  d.  14  Feb.,  1819. 

Sally  G.,  b.  1  March,  1819;  d.  5  Nov.,  1822. 

Samuel  W.,  b.  8  April,  1821  ;  d.  4  June,  1876. 

Martha  T.  J.,  b.  19  Sept.,  1823. 

Abigail  (?.,  b.  6  July,  1827 


GENEALOGICAL BUTLER,  BUXTON.  481 


BUTLER. 

Nehemiah,  lawyer,  descended  from  the  first  settlers  of  Pelliam, 
was  born  in  that  town  22  Feb.,  1824  ;  received  his  ed- 
ucation at  the  common  schools  in  his  native  town, 
at  Pinkerton  academ_y,  in  Derry,  and  at  Pembroke 
academy ;  studied  law  at  the  law  school  at  Harvard 
University,  and  in  the  office  of  Hon.  Asa  Fowler,  in 
Concord  ;  was  admitted  to  the  Merrimack  county  bar 
in  March,  1848,  and  soon  after  commenced  the  "busi- 
ness of  his  profession  in  B.  He  married  Mary  Ma- 
goon,  dau.  of  Kichard  Gage,  14  JSTov.,  1849.  Ii/lSrov., 
1852,  he  was  appointed  clerk  of  the  Superior  Court  of 
Judicature,  and  Court  of  Common  Pleas  for  the  coun- 
ty of  Merrimack,  succeeding  Hon.  N.  B.  Baker,  and 
moved  to  Concord,  where  he  resided  and  held  said 
clerkship  until  1860,  when  he  returned  to  B.  and  re- 
sumed the  practice  of  law.  In  March,  1862,  he  was 
elected  a  county  commissioner,  and  held  tlnit  office 
until  April,  1868.  Upon  the  decease  of  Hon.  J.  D. 
Sleeper,  he  was  reappointed  clerk  of  the  courts  for 
Merrimack  county,  and  held  that  office  one  year.  In 
1869  and  1870  he  represented  the  town  of  B.  in  the 
legislature.  During  the  late  war  he  was  agent  of  the 
town  to  furnish  its  quota  of  soldiers  and  attend  to  the 
financial  affairs  connected  therewith.  He  also  served 
in  the  capacity  of  selectman  and  town  treasurer  seven 
years.  July  2oth,  1876,  he  was  appointed  judge  of 
probate  for  the  county  of  Merrimack,  which  office  he 
now  holds. 

Charles  Nehemiah.  b.  '26  April,  185-3. 

George  Gage,  b.  31  March,  1854;  d.  27  July,  1851. 

Susan  Olive,  b.  17  June,  18.55;  d.  5  Aug.,  1856. 

John  Gage,  b.  1  Dec,  1856. 

Benjamin  Franklin,  b.  30  Oct.,  1858. 

Calvin  Gage,  b.  8  Feb.,  1865. 

BUXTON. 

Edward,  Rev.,  pastor  Cong,  church,  Webster  ;  b.  in  New  Boston 
[see  Biog.]  ;  m.,  1st,  Elizabeth  McFarland,  of  Con- 
cord ;  2d,  Lois  Jewett,  of  Laconia ;  od,  Mrs.  Louise 
Frances  [Dix]  Pillshury,  of  B. 

Children  of  Elizabeth : 

Elizabeth  McFarland,  h.  2  April,  1839.     Preceptress  Female  Acad- 
emy, Zanesville,  O. 
Edward,  b.  25  May,  1811;  d.  6  Dec,  1814. 


482  GENEALOGICAL CARTER. 

CARTER. 

The  Carter  family  of  Boscawen  descended  from 

Thomas^  and  Mary  Carter,  who  were  among  the  early  settlers  ot 
Salisbury,  Mass. 

JoHN,2  |j_  18  May,  1650 ;  m.  Martha . 

Thomas,^  h.  9  March,  1683 ;  m.  Ann . 

Thomas,"  b.  29  Oct.,  1707 ;  m.  Juda,  b.   1714,  who  d.  13  Jan., 
1761.     He   went   first  to  South  Hampton,  thence  to 
B.     Children  recorded : 
Winthrop,  b.  1736;  d.  8  June,  1808. 

./esse,  b.  29  Oct.,  1750.    "  AVhen  9  years  old,  was  killed  wliile  play- 
ing upon  a  side  hill,  by  a  stump  rolling  over  liini."  [Price's 
Ili.st.  ]3osc.awen.] 
David,  b.  5  Jan.,  1753.     "  Supposed  to  have  been  killed  by  the  kick 
of  a  horse,   and   his  wagon  wheel  passing  over  his  body." 

Levi. 

Anne,  m.  William  Corser,  who,  with  his  son,  was  drowned  in  Great 
Pond. 

AYiXTHROP,^  Lieut.  (Thomas,*  Thomas,^  John'-},  m.  Susanna,  dau. 
of  Joseph  and  Dorothy  Eastman,  1757.  She  d.  9 
March,  1828.  Lieut.  Carter  held  various  offices  of 
trust,  was  a  large  landliolder  in  Boscawen  and  Canter- 
bury, licensed  as  inn-keeper  12  Oct.,  1790,  kept  tav- 
ern in  house  nov\^  occupied  by  N.  S.  Webster,  the 
front  part  of  which  he  built,  and  planted  the  elm 
standing  near. 

Jesse,  b.  17  Aug.,  1758;  d.  17  Aug.,  1828. 

Daniel,  b.  19  Dec,  1759  ;  d.  4  March,  1840. 

Nathan,  b.  6  April,  1761  ;  d.  25  Sept.,  1810. 

Dorothy,  b.  1762;  ni.  Josiali  Eastman,  Bradford,  Yt. 

Jeremiah,  b.  26  Ai)ril,  1761;  m.  Hannah  Gerrish,  27  May,  1795;  d. 
28  July,  1801. 

Jiulilh,  b.  1766  ;  d.  1785. 

Sarah,  b.  6  Aprd,l769;  m.  Joshua  Jackman;  d.  12  May,  1796. 

JJumphrei/.  b.  1771 ;  went  from  home  and  never  heard  from. 

Mary,  h.  7  May,  1773;  m.  John  Gill;  d.  27  March.  1859. 

Belsei/,  m.  Abnor  Flanders,  Warner;  d.  at  Hyde  Park,  Vt. 

Naomi,  h.  9  April,  1780;  m.  Caleb  Putney;  d.  12  Aug.,  1852. 

Susanna,  b.  25  May,  1782;  m.  David  Elliott;  d.  2  Feb.,  1858. 

Daniel,*^  Lieut.  (Winthrop,*^  Thomas"),  enlisted  at  16;  served  un- 
der Gens.  Stark  and  Sullivan ;  was  at  the  battles  of 
Bennington,  Stillwater,  Bemis  Heights,  and  Saratoga  ; 
■*^as  wounded  in  R.  I.  Married  Polly  Atkinson,  15 
April,  1784.     She  d.  25  Sept.,  1854. 


GENEALOGICAL CARTER.  483 

Danld,  h.  10  March.  1785  ;  d.  10  Sept. ,  1873. 

Man/,  b.  2(3  Jan.,  1787;  ra.  John  Osboine,  Loudon,  son   of  Jacob 

and  Abigail  0.-;borne.  21  May.  181G;  d.  16  Nov.,  1856. 
.S'c7%,  b.  27  April,  1790;  d.  7  Sept.,  1873. 

Xatiian'^  (Winthrop,^  Thomas'')  kept  tavern  at  the  pUice  now 
occupied  by  C.  C.  Hall ;  ni.  Sarah  Farnum,  West  Con- 
cord. 

JwUlJi,  h.  15  Dec,  1787;  ui.  John  French;  d.  13  Jan.,  1871. 
Moses,  h.  ()  Auij.,  1790;  d.  :;0  Mav,  1851. 
John,  b.  10  Dec.,  1797;  d.  June,  1850. 
Jeremiah,  h.  20  Feb.,  1803;  d.  19  Nov.,  1871. 
•  -  Nathan,  b.  4  Feb.,  1807  ;  d.  10  Feb.,  1875. 

Daxiel"  (Dauiel,*^  Lieut.,  Winthrop^)  m.  Mrs.  Sally  Flint. 
Elbridge  G..  b.  4  Dec,  1808. 

John"  (Nathan,*^  Winthrop^)  ni.  Lydia  Gill ;  lived  in  Canterbury. 

Dradliurij  G.,  b.  3  Feb.,  1827;  m.  Asenath  Spiller,  Concord ;  resides 

there. 
Luther,  b.  2-i  Au<?.,  1829. 
John.  b.  25  March,  1882;  d.  25  Aug.,  1833. 
John,  b.  15  March,  1834. 

Sarah  R.,  b.  4  Oct.,  1838;  2d  wife  of  Robert  G.  Morrison,  Concord. 
William,  b.  20  Dec,  1842;  m.  Mattie  C.  Wheeler,  Canterbury. 

Jehemiah'  (Nathan,^  Winthrop^)  lived  at  [N'owbuiyport ;  m.,  1st, 
Sally  Woodman  ;  2d,  Mary  X.  Young. 

Childre]!  of  Sally  : 

William  H.,  b.  4  Oct,  1828. 

Jeremiah,  h.  2  March,  1830;  d.  in  Newburyport. 

Sherman  J.,  b.  25  Oct.,  1831. 

Xalhan,  b.  5  Jan.,  1833;  m.   Lucy   Grafton;  resides   in    Stanwall 

East,  Australia. 
Sarah  C.  b.  2  Oct.,  1831;  ni . ;  resides  in   Lynn,  Mass.;  d. 

9  Nov..  1869. 
John  S.,  b.  25  Feb.,  1836;  ni.  Annie  W.  Haskell,  Gloucester,  Mass.; 

resides  there. 
Zuc?/  ir..  b.  1  May,  J 838;  m.  Moses   Davis,  Newburyport;  resides 

in  Lynn,  Mass. 

Children  of  ■Marj-  : 
Richard  r.,  b.  20  Jan.,  181L 

Ellen  J.,  b.  30  June,  1842;  ni.   Calvin  Marden,  Newburyport,  re- 
sides in  Canton,  Mass. 
Georgianna,  b.  3  Dec,  3  843  ;  resides  in  Newburyport. 
Walter  I.,  b.  21  May,  1815;  d.  in  infancy. 

Nathan'^  (iSTathan,®  Winthrop®)  resided  at  i^ewburyport  20  years  ; 
was  conductor  Newburyport  &  Georgetown  Railroad ; 
universally  beloved  and  respected  ;  m.  Mary  A.  Pear- 
son. 


484  GENEALOGICAL CARTER.  v,»i'' 

Mary  A.,   b.,  11    Nov.,  1832;    ni.  Charles  A.   Todd;    resides  in 

Lynn,  Mass. 
Sarah  E.,  b.  2  April,  1834;  m.  John  T.  Burrill;  resides  in   New- 

buryport. 
NatJian  P.,  h.  27  April,  1836. 
Caroline  E.,  h.  20  Jan.,  1838;  m.  Charles  C.  Stockman;  resides  in 

Newbnryport. 
Li/dia  P.,  b.   4   Nov.,  1841;  m.   Albert   J.    Atkinson;  resides  in 

Newbnryport. 
Ellen  J.,  b.  2  Oct.,  184(3;  d.  19  Aug.,  1848. 
Edward  T.,  b.  17  Oct.,  1848. 

Elbridge  G.,^  (Daniel,''  Daniel,*  Lieut.)  agent  for  U.  S.  &  Can- 
ada Express,  Concord,  for  many  years ;  resides  at 
Concord;  m.  Sarah  S.  Hook,  Concord. 

Mary  0.,  b.  10  Dec,  1836  ;  m.  L.  E.  Warren,  Littleton,  Mass., 
Professor  of  Mathematics,  Colby  Uuiversitv,  Waterviile, 
Me. 

George  W.,  b.  18  July,  1842. 
Luther^  (John,''  Nathan*')  m.  Mary  A.  Coffin,  ISTewburyport ;  re- 
sides there. 

Mary  C,  b.  1  Dec,  18.j.'5. 

Lillian  F.,  b.  12  May,  1858. 

Luther  E.,  b.  1  May,  1865;  d.  1  Aug.,  1865. 

JOHN^  (John/  Nathan*)  m.  Julia  F.  Bryant,  Madrid,  Me. 

Frank  L.,h.  14  Feb.,  1860. 

/.  Wesley,  h.  20  April,  1864. 

Jennie  E.,  b.  20  Oct.,  1874. 
William  H.,**  (Jeremiah,'  Nathan'^)  m.  Ann  W.  Nowell,  New- 
buryport. 

George  IF.,  b.  17  Aug.,  1855. 

Joh7i,  h.  27  Oct.,  1865. 

Georgianna,  b.  5  July,  1874. 

Sherman  J.^  (Jeremiah,''  Nathan*)  m.  Emma  A.  Dow;  resides  in 
Gloucester,  Mass. 
Sherman,  b.  26  April,  1851. 
John  D.,  b.  3  July,  1856. 
Fred  O..  b.  28  Sept..  1860. 
Emma  F.  A.,h.  16  Sept.,  1863. 

EiCHARD   T,^  (Jeremiah,''  Nathan*)  m.  Annette  Johnson,    Ells- 
worth ;  resides  West  Thornton. 
Mary  A.,  b.  29  June,  1871. 
Nathax  P.^  (Nathan,''  Nathan*)  m.  Caroline  rvlcc,  Boston ;  re- 
sides in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
Bertie,  b.  12  Nov.,  1866,  at  St.  Louis;  d.  in  infancy. 
Hattie  S..  b.  12  July,  1868,  at  St.  Louis. 
Eugene  J.,  b.  25  Oct.,  1871,  at  Astoria,  N.  Y. 
Willie  N.,  b.  23  March,  1876,  at  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


GENEALOGICAL CHADWICK.  485 

CHAD  WICK. 

Charles  was  h.  in  England,  1596 ;  came  to   America  in  1630  ; 

settled    at    Watertown.      The    Chadvvicks  of   B.    are 

without  doubt  his  descendants. 
Edmund^  lived  in  Bradford,  Mass.     His  children  were, — 

Alar  I/,  Abigail,  James,  Samuel,  Sarah,  William,  Ehenezer,  Dorotlnj, 

Elizabeth. 

James, ^  b.  14  Dec,  1724  ;  m.  Mary  Thurston. 

Hannah,  b.  22  June,  1752;  m.  Jonathan  Bhincliard,  of  Canterbury. 
Edmund,  h.  2    April,  17.54;   m.    Susanna   Atkinson;    dea.   of  the 
church  in  B.;  d.  20  Aug.,  1819. 

Edmund, '^  b.  2  April,  1754;  m.  Susanna  Atkinson. 

Samuel,  b.  27  May,  178);  m.  Sarah  Morrill,  of  Cai.terbury;  lived 
on  Water  st. 

James,  b.  1  June,  1782,  in.  Betsey  Morrill,  of  B. 

Hannah,  h.  15  Abxrch.  1781;  m.  James  Watson,  of  15. 

Joseph,  b.  19  July.  1787  ;  m.,  1st,  Judith  Morrill,  of  B.;  2d,  Eunice 
Bliss,  of  Lebanon.  He  was  a  clock-maker,  lived  in  house 
north  of  academy,  gave  the  land  fur  that  edifice.  His  shop 
stood  on  spot  now  occupied  by  P.O.,  and  it  is  now  stand- 
ing on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street.      Died  in  B. 

Manj,  b.  2  Oct.,  1791  ;  m.  Silas  Call,  of  B. 

Ci/rus,  b.  1  Oct.,  1800;  m.  Eliza  A.  Nichols;  moved  to  Ohio;  d.  in 
Newark,  10  May,  1870. 

Samuel*  (Edmund^),  b.  27  May,  1780  ;  m.  Sarah  Morrill,  of  Can- 
terbury. 

Susan,  b.  16  May,  1801;  m.  Bitfield  Plummer. 

Caroline,  b.  17  Dec,  1805;  m.  1st,  H.  Foster,  of  Canterbury; 
moved  to  O.  ;  2d,  Barrows. 

Laban  Morrill,  b.  13  May,  18(^7;  m.  Eliza  Hale,  of  Franklin;  lives 
on  Water  st. 

Edmund  Smith,  10  Mar.,  1809;  m.,  1st,  Elizabeth  Sanborn,  of 
Kingston;  2d,  Emily  Sanborn  (sister).  Published  JSf.  H. 
Observer  at  Concord;  subsequently  a  trader  in  Concord; 
now  living  at  Beloit,  Wis. 

Albert  Galatin,  b.,  8  Nov.,  1810;  m.  Helen  Martin;  learned  print- 
ing ;  published  Spirit  of  Inquiry  at  Concord  ;  established 
Caledonian  at  St.  Johnsbury,  Yt. ;  d.  St.  Juhnsbury,  6 
Aug.,  1863. 

Jeremiah  Clough,  b.  4  July.  1812;  m.,  1st,  Abby  Cate,  of  North- 
field;  2d,  Pillsbury,  of  B. ;  learned  printing;  re- 
sides on  Water  st. 

Peter  Morrill,  b.  24  April,  1815;  m.  Mary  Hanson,  of  Warner  ;  re- 
sided at  Irasburg,  Vt.  ;  lives  in  B. 

Maria,  b.  4  March,  1817;  d.  27  June,  1833. 

Snrah  Ann,h.  15  Feb.,  1821;  m.  Dr.  Thomas  Currie,  of  North- 
field,  practitioner  in  Webster;  now  residing  at  Lebanon. 

Eouisa,  b.  3  May,  1823;  d.  5  March,  1846. 


486  GENEALOGICAL CHADWICK. 

James^  (EdmuncF),  h.  1  June,  1782 ;  m.  Betsey  Morrill. 

Alonzo  C,  10  Feb.,  1810  ;  m. Fitts,  of  Ciuidia. 

Louisa  M.,  12  April,  1812;  d.  13  April,  1813. 

Cynthia,  9  Dec  ;  d.  in  infancy. 

Charles,  9  Sept.,  1815;  d.  5  April,  1816. 

Charles  Johnson,  11  Sept.,  1821;  m.  1st,  Eliza  J.  Moore,  of  Lou- 
don; 2d,  Mrs.  Lucretia  E.  Chandler,  dau.  of  Joseph 
Morse,  of  B. ;  lives  iu  B.  \,6   '^■ 

Joseph*  (EdmiuKF),  h.  19  July,  1787 ;  m.,  Ist,  Betsey  Morrill ; 
2d,  Eunice  Bliss. 

Calvin  M.,  b.  15  July,  1813. 

Eunice,  17  July,  1822;  m. Royce. 

Joseph . 

Cyrus"  (Edmund^),  h.  1  Oct.,  1800 ;  d.  10  May,  1870. 

Manj,  3  Sept.,  1835;  Charles,  20  Feb.,  1837;  yl/?;er/,  22  March, 
1839  ;  Buron,  21  April,  1810  ;  Sarah  A.,  IS  Sept.,  1843;— 
living  in  O. 

Laban  M.5  (Samuel,* EdnnuuP)   b.  13  May,  1807  ;  m.  Eliza  Hale. 

Hale,  3  Oct.,  1841. 
John,  24  April,  1843. 
Harriet,  27  April    1845. 

Alonzo  C.^  (James*),  b.  10  Eeb.,  1810;  m.  Eitts  of  Candia; 

lives  in  Lawrence,  Mass. 

Fitts  Henry. h.  24  April,  1840;  m.  Hattie  B.  Wheaton,  of  Boston; 

lives  in  Lawrence. 
George  Whitefield,  IS  Nov.,  1854. 

Chakles  J.^  (James*),  b.  11  Sept.,  1821 ;  m.,  1st,  Eliza  J.  Moore ; 
2d,  Mrs.  Lucretia  Chandler  (Morse). 

Children  of  Eliza  : 

Cip-us  TF.,  23  June,  1851. 

Emilii  M.,  26  Dec,  1855  ;  d.  27  June,  1858. 

Emma  A.,  7  July,  1859. 

Elmer  A.,  K  _  ^^  j^  j_  j^^  infancy. 

Daughter,  )  °  '  ■' 

Fitts  Henry*^  (Alonzo  C.^)  m.  Hattie  M.  Wheaton. 
Julia  E..  22  Nov.,  1869. 
Henry  M.,  1  Aug.,  1871. 


GENEALOGICAL CHANDLER.  487.- 


CHANDLER. 

William^  and  his  wife  Aunis  came  from  England;  1637,  and 
settled  in  Eoxbuiy. 

Thomas,^  Capt.,  m.  Hannah  Brewer,  of  Andover,  Mass.,  and  re- 
sided there. 

JoHN,^  Capt.,  m.  Hannah  Abbot,  of  Andover. 

Johns',*  Ensign,  m.  Hannah  Erye,  of  Andover. 

JoHX,^  Capt.,  m.  Tahiatha  Abbot,  of  Concord,  N.  H.  He  was 
one  of  the  original  proprietors  of  that  town. 

JoHN,'^  Capt.,  b.  1731 ;  m.  Mary  Carter,  of  Concord. 

John,h.  11  Dec,  1752;  m.  Naomi,  dau.  of  Epbraim  Farnum,  of 
Concord;  d.  21  Jan.,  1825. 

Nathan,  h.  28  April,  1751;  m.  Susan  Ambrose,  of  Concord  ;  d.  13 
April,  1781. 

Isaac,  b.  18  April,  1758;  m.  Mary,  dau.  of  Capt.  Peter  Kimball,  of 
B.  lie  served  in  Ticonderoga  campaign,  1777,  was  colonel 
2lstReg1". ;  owned  the  farm  now  owned  by  sons  of  Wm.  H. 
Gage,  Esq.     He  was  universally  esteemed.     Died,  1826. 

Jeremlali,  b.  1761;  m.  Judith,  dau.  of  Ephraim  Farnura,  of  Con- 
cord ;  resided  in  house  now  occupied  by  John  C.  Gage; 
moved  to  Lovell,  Me.,  where  he  d.  12  Feb.,  1829.  He  had 
two  children. 

JoHiSr,'  Capt.  (John,*'  Capt.),  b.  11  Dec,  1752 ;  m.  Naomi  Ear- 
num. 

John,  b.  25  Oct.,  1780;  m.  Priscilla,  dau.  of    Capt.  Peter  Kimball, 

of  B.  ;  physician  ;  d.  6  March,  1859. 
Nalhan,  b.  15  April,  1782  ;  m.  Jane,  dau.  of  Nathaniel  Rolfe ;   d.  1 

April,  1835. 
Ephraim  P.,  b.  4   Sept.,   1784;  ni.   Tabiatha,  dau.  of  Theophilus 

Currier,  of  Warner;  d.  12  March,  1837. 
Mart/,  b.  3  Sept.,  1786;  m.  Jonathan  Eastman,  of  East  Concord; 

d.  27  Feb.,  1872. 
Susannah  F.,h.7  Dec,  1788;   m.  Richard  Gage. 
Judith  H.,  b.    19  March,   1793;  m.   Reuben   Johnson,    of  B.     A 

woman  of  rare  worth.     Died  3  Nov.,  1843. 
RJioda  C,  m.  Josephus  Chandler;  resides  west. 

Jonx,«  Dr.,  b.  25  Oct.,  1780  ;  m.  Priscilla  Kimball ;  grad.  D.  C, 
1805 ;  practised  medicine  in  Hebron,  Methuen,  Pem- 
broke, Loudon,  and  North  Eryeburg.  He  d.  of  apo- 
plex}'',  in  Goffstown,  6  March,  1859. 

Roxanna,  b.  1808;  d.  in  infancy. 

Priscilla,  b.  27  Sept.,  1809;  m.  John  S.  Drake,  of  Chichester. 


488  GENEALOGICAL CHANDLER. 

Sarah  K.,  h.  1811  ;  d.  in  Loudon,  1832. 

John  S.,  b.  1813;  d.  1816. 

Isaac  W..  b.  1815  ;  m.,  1st,  Fanny  Crowell,  of  Xewark,  N.  J.;  2d, 
Joanna  Hinds,  of  Chichester;  resides  in  Epsom.  Child  of 
Fanny,  Eddie,  b.  1861;  child  of  Joanna,  Willie. 

Mary  Ann,  b.  18  Dec,  1817;  m.  Samuel  C.  Evans,  of  Fryeburg, 
Me. 

John  B.  W.,  h.  30  July,  1820;  m.,  1st,  Elizabeth  Godfrey,  of  Man- 
chester: 2d,  Lucretia,  dau.  of  Joseph  Morse,  of  Webster  ; 
d.  1865. 

Peter  Kimball,  b.  4  July,  1823;  m.  Maria  E.  Harville,  of  Bedford; 
resides  in  Manchester;  dea.  1st  Contr.  church. 

George  P.,  b.  12  March,  1826  ;  d.  13  June,  1827. 

Nathan^  (John''),  b.  15  April,  1782  ;  m.  Jane  Eolfe.  He  resided 
in  B. ;  bnilt  the  house  now  occupied  by  the  widow  of 
Ephraim  Plumnier  ;  was  selectman  1812,  '13, '16.  In 
1829  he  moved  to  Concord,  settling  near  the  present 
railroad  station  ;  d.  1  April,  1835. 

Abial  Rolfe,  b.  26  Aug..  1805  ;  m.  Eliza  J.  Morrison,  of  B;  resides 
in  Lawrence.     [See  Biog.] 

Judith  Walker,  b.  5  Aug.,  1807;  m.  Enoch  H.  Dow,  of  Concord. 

Naomi  Farnnm,  b.  5  Dec,  1809;  m.  Asa  H.  Morrill,  of  Fisherville. 

Nathan,  b.  12  June,  1812  ;  m.  Louisa  W.  Ferrin,  of  Concord;  resides 
on  homestead;  was  representative  187-1,  '7.5. 

Harriet,  b.  10  July,  181.5. 

Sarah  B.,  b.  10  Aug.,  1817;  d.  16  Feb.,  1811. 

William  P.,  b.  27  Oct.,  182(1;  m.  Sarah  E.  Kimball,  of  Orange; 
civil  engineer ;  lives  in  111.  ;  was  the  first  to  develop  the 
extensive  coal  mines  of  Danville,  in  that  state.  Entered 
U.  S.  army;  was  Lieut.  Col.  35th  111.  Reg't;  commanded 
it  two  years;  participated  in  the  battles  of  Pea  Ridge, 
Corinth,  Perryville,  Stone  River,  Chickamauga,  Mission 
Ridge,  and  others  ;  was  twice  taken  prisoner. 

Ephraim  F.,  b.  4  Sept.,  1784 ;  m.  Tabiatha,  dau.  of  Theophilus 
Currier,  of  Warner ;  lived  in  B. ;  d.  12  March,  1837. 

Philip  J.,  b.  21  Oct.,  1814:  went  to  sea  when  18;  never  heard  from. 
Sarah  C,  b.  19  June,  1816;  m.  Luke  Eastman. 
Jonathan  Eastman. 

Abial  Eolfe«  (Nathan,^  Jolm'),  b.  25  Aug.,  1805 ;  m.  Eliza  J. 
Morrison.     [See  Biog.] 

Hennj  Walker,  b.  2  Aug.,  1830;  d.  15  Aug.,  1850. 

Kate  Frances,  b.  4  Dec,  18;i)l  ;  m.  W.  A.  Kimball,   of  Lawrence, 

Mass. 
Annie  Rebecca,  b.  11  April,  1837.  , 

Nathan^  (Nathan,^  John^),  b.  12  June,  1812;  m.  Lovisa  W. 
Eerrin. 


GENEALOGICAL CHOATE. 


489 


Edward  Wehsler^  b.  11  Dec,  1811  ;  m.  Frances  Ferriu,  of  Concord; 

resides  in  Minonk,  111.;  three  children. 
Sarah.  B.,  b.  15  June,  181o;  n».  James  L.  Gerrish,  of  Webster. 
Frederic  G.,  b.  31  Dec,  1815  ;  m.  Mary  S.  Abbott;  resides  atFisli- 

erville. 
William  P.,  b.  30  Nov.,  1849;  m.  Alice   Boyce,  of   Fisherville;   one 

child. 

John  W.«  [Jolin,«  Dr.,  John'),  b.  30  July,  1820,  m.,  1st,  Eliza- 
beth Godfrey  ;  2d,  Lucretia  Morse. 

Children  of  Elizabeth  : 
John  Franklin,  b.  1846;  m.  Alice  Fitz. 
Sarah  H.,  b.  1847;  d.  4  Feb.,  1876. 
Emma,h.  1849;  d.  1867. 

Hatlie  G.,  b.  1854;  m.  Cotton;  d.  April,  1875. 

Willie  Irving,  b.  1853;  d.  1854 

JosEPHUs  Chandler,  another  branch  of  the  Chandler  family,  of 
Eryeburg,  Me.,  married  Ehoda  C,  dau.  of  Capt.  John 
Chandler,  of  B.  They  lived  in  Eryeburg,  and  moved 
to  Primrose,  Wis.,  where  he  d.  IT  Eeb.,  1859. 

Catherine,  ^  b,  7  Sept.,  1830;  ni.  Charles  Thompson;  lives  in  Wis. 
Caroline,    \h.  7  Sept.,  183ii;  successful  school  teacher  in  the  West ; 

d.  in  Monticello,  la.,  1870. 
John  A.,m.  Maria  A.  Grundy,  of  Monticello,  la.  Three  children,— 

Charles  H.,  Elmer  E.,  Catharine  C. 
George  W.,  soldier  in  5th  Wis.  Reg't;  fought  in  battles  of  Army  of 

Potomac. 
Williajn  Henri/,  engaged  in  mining  in  Montana. 

CHOATE. 

The  first  ancestor  of  the  Choate  family  in  this  country  (given 
name  unknown),  being  pressed  into  the  English  navy, 
deserted  from  the  man-of-war  "  Lion,"  while  on  the 
American  coast,  and  settled  in  Essex,  Mass.  He  had 
a  son,  IIumvphTey,  there. 

Humphrey^  (deserter). 

Thomas,  b.  1716,  at  Essex,  Mass.;  d.  1798,  at  B. 
Humphrey  (grandfather  of  Hon.  Rufus  Choate). 

Thomas^  (Humphrey-),  m.  Dolly  Proctor,  of  Essex,  Mass. ;  was  a 

captain  of  Mass.  militia  under  George  II ;  came  to  B. 

in  1788 ;  settled  on  High  street,  where  Samuel  Choate 

now  resides. 
Jacob,  Thomas,  Solomon,  Susan,  Miriam,  Mrs.  Lowe,  Anner. 
Benjamin,  Col.,  h.  8  Sept.,  1766  ;  m.  Mehitable  Plummer,  of  B.;  d. 

7  April,  1859,  at  Enfield. 
Samuel,  b.  18  March,  1769 ;  d.  12  June,  1847. 


490  GENEALOGICAL CHOATE. 

Samuel*  (Thomas,^  Capt.,  Humphrey'^)  m.,  1st,  Betsey  Kimball ; 
2d,  Nancy  Jackman  ;  od,  Mary  Loomis,  of  Thetford, 

Vt. 

Child  of  Betsey : 
Isaac  C,  b.  15  Aug.,  1791 ;  d.  6  Jan.,  1860. 

Cliildren  of  Nancy : 
Royal,  b.  12  June,  1796. 
Betsey,  h.  9  Dec,  1797  ;  d.  7  Jan.,  1826. 
A7iner,  b.  13  April,  1800;  m.  Samuel  Choate,  Enfield. 
If  aria,  b.  12  Aug.,  1802;  m.  Thomas  Clioate,  Enfield. 
Nancy,  b.  22  Oct.,  1801 ;  m.  Jonathan  Currier,  Candia. 

Children  of  Mary  : 
Marjj,  b.  1810  ;  d.  7  Jan.,  1827. 
Sojihla,  d.  1818,  aged  18  mouths. 
Samuel,  b.  1815;  d.  same  year. 

IsAAC^  (Samuel,*  Thomas,^  Humphrey"')  m.  Hannah  Noyes,  He- 
bron. 

Samuel  K.,  b.  5  Nov.,  1820;  m.,  1st,  Martha  Jane  Waldrou,  of 
Hopkinton  ;  2d,  Mary  M.  Moore,  of  Calais,  Me.  ;  lives  in 
Concord. 

Betsey,  b.  1821;  d.  1826. 

KOYAL^  (Samuel,*  Thomas,^  Humphrey")  m.,  1st,  Hannah  Sawyer, 
Salisbury ;  2d,  Mrs.  Eliza  Mewers,  Gilmanton. 

Children  of  Hannah : 

David  S.,  b.  28  Nov.,  1827;  d.  22  Feb.,  1833. 

Samuel,  b.  21  Feb.,  1830. 

Nancy  J.,  b.  5  Nov.,  1832;  m.  Moses  C.  Sanborn,  Concord. 

Children  of  Eliza  : 

Royal,  b.  25  April,  1846  ;  m.  Nettie  Webster,  Manchester. 
Lucy  A.,  b.  3  Oct.,  1849;  m.  John  F.  Colby. 

Samuel^  (Koyal,^  Samuel,*  Thomas'^)  m.   Caroline  M.  Perkins, 
Georgetown,  Mass. 
Mary  IL,  b.  20  July,  1863. 
Lizzie  M.,  b.  10  Jan.,  1865. 


r 

V 


I        \    ^r-y^"^ 


^-^  1  ^:^_t„  AAA.^  ^Aa.- 
^^    ^-    '^   ^w^ 


GENEALOGICAL — COFFIN.  491 


COFFIN". 

In  the  "  Worthies  of  Devonshire/'  by  Prince,  tlie  Coffin  family 
of  Portledge  is  spoken  of  as  having  occupied  an  estate  ever  since 
the  ]SJ"ornian  conquest.  Sir  William  Coffin,  of  Portledge,  was  an 
officer  of  high  state  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.  The  Coffins  of 
America  are  descendants  of  the  Portledge  family. 

Peter  CoffijST,^  of  Brixton,  near  Portledge,  died  1628.  His  widow, 
Joanna  Thember  Coffin,  with  her  children,  Tristram, 
Mary,  and  Eunice,  emigrated  to  Salisbury,  Mass.,  in 
1642,  settled  in  Newliury,  and  finally  moved  to  Nan- 
tucket. She  d.  in  May,  1661,  aged  77.  She  was  a 
woman  of  remarkable  strength  of  character. 

Tristkam^  (Peter,  of  Brixton,),  b.  in  England  in  1609  ;  m.  Dionis 
Stevens,  of  Brixton ;  came  to  Salisbury  in  1642,  with 
five  children  ;  moved  to  Haverhill,  thence  to  Newbury, 
1648,  to  Salisbury  again,  1654.  In  1659,  with  others, 
he  purchased  nineteen  twentieths  of  the  island  of 
Nantucket,  whither  he  removed  in  1660,  with  several 
of  his  children.  He  d.  there  2  Oct.,  1681.  He  had 
nine  children.     His  second  son  was  Tristram. 

Tristram^  (Tristram,^  Peter^),  b.  in  England  in  1632 ;  m.  Judith 
Grreenleaf,  of  Newbury ;  was  ancestor  of  all  the  Cof- 
fins originating  from  Newbury.  His  last  and  tenth 
child  was  Nathaniel. 

Nathaniel*  (Tristram,^  Tristram,-  Peter^),  b.  in  Newbury,  22 
March,  1669 ;  m.  Sarah,  widow  of  Henry  Dole — name 
before  marriage,  Sarah  Brocklebank,  of  Powley ;  re- 
sided in  the  house  erected  by  his  father,  and  still 
standing,  1878.     He  had  eight  children. 

Jolin,  b.  1  Jan.,  1694;  m.  Judith  Greenleaf,  of  Newbury;  d.  30 

Sept.,  1762. 
Enocli,\>.  7  Feb.,  1696. 
AppUa,  b.  9  June,  1678 ;  d.  8  Oct.,  1715. 
Samuel  Brocklebank,  h.  24  Aug.,  1700;  a  minister. 
Joseph,  Col,  b.  30  Dec,  1702  ;  grad.  Harvard  ;  clerk  of  proprietors 

of   Contoocook,  1733-1760;    m.  Margaret  Morse;   d.  12 

Sept.,  1773. 
Jane,  b.  1  Aug.,  1705. 

Edmund,  Dr.,  b.  19  March,  1708  ;  d.  29  Jan.,  1789. 
Moses,  b.  11  June,  1711;  d.  22  Feb.,  1793. 

JoHN^  (Nathaniel,"  Tristram^),  b.  1  June,  1694 ;  m.  Judith  Green- 
leaf. 
Richard,  b.  22  Nov.,  1713;  m.  Abigail  Hale;  d.  9  March,  1773. 
Nathaniel,  b.  7  Sept.,  1716;  m.  Patience  Dole;  d.  in  Portland,  in 
1766. 

32 


492  GENEALOGICAL — COFFIN. 

Ahlyail,  h.  8  Nov.,  1718  ;  m.  Eev.  Aaron  Whittemore,  of  Pem- 
broke; d.  11  May,  1803. 

Manj,  b.  23  July,  1720;  d.  25  Nov.,  1737. 

Peter,  Capt.,  b.  11  May,  1722;  moved  to  Concord  in  1706;  to  B. 
in  1768;  ni.  Rebecca  Hazeltine,  of  Chester;  d.  15  Dec, 
1789.    [See  Biog.] 

Apphia.  b.  13  April,  1721;  m.  Icliabod  Jones. 

William,  h.  3  July,  1726;  m.  Sarah  Hazeltine,  of  Chester;  resided 
in  Concord,  near  present  north  scliool-house;  d.  18  Oct., 
1815. 

Samuel,  b.  23  Nov.,  1728;  m.  Anna  Pettingill;  d.  29  June,  1818. 

Judith,  b.  3  Sept.,  1732;  d.  2  Nov.,  1737. 

Sarah,  b.  26  Sept.,  1735;  d.  1  Nov.,  1737. 

Peter,«  Capt.  (Jolin,^  Nathaniel*),  h.  11  May,  1722 ;  m.  Eebecca 
Haseltine.     [See  Biog.] 

Peter,  b.  29  April,  1770;  d.  30  April,  1779. 

Rebecca,  b.  20  Oct.,  1771 ;  d.  17  May,  1787. 

Joanna,  b.  11  April,  1773;  m.  Dr.  Edmund  Carlcton,  of  Haverhill, 

N.  H. :  d.  about  1834. 
Abigail,  b.  26  March,  1775;  d.  at  Haverhill,  N.  H.,  28  Feb.,  18.36. 
Thomas,  Lieut.,  b.   15  July,   1777;  m.,  1st,  Hannah   Kilburn;  2d, 

Hannah  Bartlet ;  d.  19  April,  1853. 
Moses,  Capt.,  b.  22  July,  1779;  m.  Susannah  Farnum,  of  Concord; 

d.  5  Sept.,  1851. 
Apphia,  b.  8  Aug.,  1791;  m.  Nehemiah  Cogswell,  of  B. ;  d.  17  Dec, 

1839. 

Thomas/  Lieut.  (Peter/  Capt.,  John^),  b.  15  July,  1777;  m., 
1st,  Hannah  Kilhurn,  dau.  of  Dea.  Eliphalet  Kilburn, 
of  B. ;  2d,  Hannah  Bartlet,  dau.  of  Dea.  David  Bart- 
let, of  Campton,  N.  H.,  his  cousin.  He  lived  on 
Water  st.,  in  the  house  built  by  his  father,  now  owned 
by  Mr.  Colby.  He  was  elected  selectman  in  1810, 
1811,  representative  in  1831.  He  was  kind,  genial, 
public-spirited,  and  universall}'  respected.  He  contrib- 
uted liberally  towards  the  erection  of  the  Congrega- 
tional meeting-house  in  Webster;  was  an  early  advo- 
cate of  temperance  in  1831,  abolishing  ardent  spirits 
from  his  house,  and  refusing  to  make  cider  for  sale. 
He  was  foremost  in  the  anti-slavery  cause,  and  circu- 
lated petitions  for  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  the  ter- 
ritories, when  there  was  a  strong  prejudice  against 
any  interference  with  the  institution.  He  was  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  church,  and  gave  liberally  to 
charitable  objects. 

Children  of  Hannah  Kilburn  : 

Enoch,  b.  20  April,  1808;  d.  13  Oct.,  1S15. 

John,  h.  2  Sept.,  1809;  d.  9  Sept.,  1809. 

Apphia  Cogswell,  b.  6  Dec,  1810;  m.  Enoch  Little,  Jr.,  of  B. 


GENEALOGICAL — COFFIN.  493 

Mary  Kilhurn,  b.  12  Nov.,  1812;  m.  Edmund  Carleton,  Littleton, 

N.  H. 
Frederick  William,  b.  28  May,  1815;  m.  Harriot  Clioate,  of  Derry  ; 

Col.  21st  Reuc't ;  resides  in  Chicago. 
Enoch,  b.  5  March,  1817;  ni.   Emily  Gerrish,  dau.  of  Jacob   Ger- 

rish  ;  resides  in  Beloit,  Wis. 
Lwonia,\h.  8  Aug.,  1819;  d.  6  Sept.,  1820. 
Elvira,    j  b.  8  Aug.,  1819;  m.  Nathan  P.  Ames;  d.  at  West  Creek, 

Ind.,  Jan.,  1861. 
Charles   Carleton,  b.  26  July,  1823;  m.  Sallie   R.  Farmer,   dau.   of 

Col.  John  Farmer.     [See  Biog.] 

Moses/  Capt.  (Peter,«  Capt.,  Joliu^),  b.  22  July,  1779  ;  m.  Susan- 
nah Farnum,  of  Concord  ;  lived  in  house  erected  by 
himself  east  of  Water  st.,  on  road  leading  to  Bos- 
cawen  plain,  now  occupied  by  widow  Farnum  Coffin. 
He  was  an  energetic  citizen,  respected,  and  a  consis- 
tent member  of  the  Cong,  church.  Educated  one  of 
his  sons  for  the  ministry.  His  wife,  Susannah,  d.  4 
May,  1843.     He  d.  5  Sept.,  1854. 

Rebecca,  b.   13  March,  1801;  m.  John  Sanborn,  of  B. ;  d.  Nov., 

1871. 
Lucy  Jane,  h.  1805;  m.  Samuel  Allen,  of  Reading,  Mass. 
Peter,  b.  26  March,  1808;  m.  Eunice  Couch,  of  B. ;  lives  in  B. 
Judith,  b.  17  May,  1810;  d.  Jane,  1842. 
Farmi7n,h.  13  March,   1813;  m.   Judith   Gerrish,   of  Canterbury; 

lived  in  B.  ;  d.  Sept.,  1856. 
Nehemiah   Cogswell,   Rev.,   b.  24  March,  1815;  m.  Susan   Rust,  of 

WoUeborough  ;  d.  in  Sandusky,  O.,  9  Jan.,  1808. 
Susannah,  b.  24  Nov.,  1818;  m.  Enoch  Morrill,  of   B.,  24  Nov., 

1843. 
Esther,  b.  1821  ;  m.  Henry  G.  Peach,  of  B.;  d.  July,  1843. 

Frederick  William,^  Col.  (Thomas,^  Lieut.,  Peter,"  Capt.),  b.  28 
May,  1815  ;  m.  Harriet  Choate,  of  Derry;  settled  in  B. ; 
moved  to  Derry,  thence  to  Chicago ;  was  captain  of 
Boscawen  Light  Infantry ;  colonel  21st  Reg't. 

Warren  Choate,  b.  25  Feb.,  1844;  m.    Sarah  Ilanna,  of  Castile, 

N.  Y. 
Harriet  Newell,  h.   25    Sept.,  1846;  d.   at  Beloit,  Wis.,  23   Feb., 

1861. 
Henry  Russell,  b.  15  Aug.,  1851;  d.  9  Oct.,  1870,  at  Chicago. 

Enoch^  (Thomas,"  Peter,"  Capt.),  b.  5  March,  1817 ;  m.  Emily 
Gerrish,  of  B.  :  lived  on  homestead  :  deacon  of  Cong, 
church ;  moved  to  Beloit,  Wis.,  1859. 

Edtvin  Dwiqht,  b.  12  Sept.,  1843. 
William  Henry,  b.  26  Feb.,  1849. 
Sarah  uimes,  b.  9  Jan.,  1851. 


494  GENEALOGICAL COFFIN. 

PeterS  (Moses/  Capt.,  Peter,«  Capt.),  h.  26  March,  1808 ;  m. 
Eunice  Coucli,  of  B.  ;  living  in  B. 

Sarah,  b.  3  April,  1836;  d.  1837. 

George,  b.  9  Dec,  1837;  enlisted  in  16th  N.  H.  Volunteers,  in 
1863;  ordered  to  service  under  Gen.  Banks,  at  New  Or- 
leans; d.  of  disease  at  Port  Hudson, 

Sarah  E.,h.  9  Dec,  1811. 

Esther  Peach,  b.  15  Dec,  1843;  m.  G.  W.  Fisher;  resides  in  B. 

Farnum^  (Moses,^  Capt.,  Peter,«  Capt.),  k  13  March,  1813 ;  m. 
Judith  Gerrish,  dau.  of  Joseph  Gerrish,  of  Canter- 
bury ;  resided  on  homestead ;  d.  Sept.,  1856. 

John.h.  9   Jan..   1816;  m.   Nellie   Sleeper,  of  Bristol;  resides  ia 

Iowa;  has  two  children. 
Clara  A.,  h.  18  Jan.,  1850. 
Joseph,   I  b.  1853;  d.  6   June,  1858. 
Henri/,    |  b.  1853  ;  resides  in  B. 

Nehemiah  Cogswell,^  Rev.  (Moses,'  Capt.,  Peter,«  Capt.),  b.  24 
March,  1815  ;  grad.  at  Dartmouth,  1837  ;  studied  the- 
ology ;  m.  Susan  Rust,  of  Wolfeborough  ;  preached  at 
Circieville,  Piqua,  and  Sandusky,  0. ;  d.  at  Sandusky, 
Jan.,  1865,  respected  and  beloved.  He  was  an  earn- 
est preacher  and  faithful  pastor. 

,     Ellen  M.,  b.  2  April,  1844;  m.  B.  F.  Stewart,  of  Hardwick,  Vt. 
John  W.,  b.  8  Feb.,  1846  ;  d.  April,  1846. 
Lucy  ^.,  b.  5  Jan.,  1849;  d.  5  Dec,  1874. 
Henrrj  F.,  b.  16  Oct.,  1850. 
MaryL.,h.  20  Nov.,  1852. 
Harriet  M.,  h.  15  Nov.,  1861. 
Elizabeth  R.,  b.  20  Jan.,  1864.     The  family  resides  at  Marblehead, 

Ohio. 
WARRE^-  Choate^  (Frederick  W.,^  Col.),  b.  25  Feb.,  1844 ;  m. 

Sarah  Hanna  ;  resides  in  Chicago  ;  professor  of  music. 

Hennj  Warren,  b.  6  Jan.,  1874;  d.  2  Aug.,  1874. 
Frederick  York,  b.  12  Dec,  1874. 

JoHN^  (Farnum,8  Moses'),  b.  9  Jan.,  1846 ;  m.  Nellie  Sleeper,  of 
Bristol ;  lives  at  Clear  Lake,  Iowa. 
Lura,  b.  25  March,  1873. 
George  Henry,  b.  10  Dec,  1875. 

Moses  Coffin,  another  branch  of  the  Coffin  family  of  Newbury, 
son  of  Joseph,  b.  in  Newbury,  9  Sept.,  1767.  His 
father  d.  when  he  was  an  infant.  He  was  cared  for 
by  his  uncle  Joseph  (Col.),  one  of  the  original  pro- 
prietors, and  town-clerk  of  B.  He  was  a  tailor  ;  moved 
to  B.  at  the  age  of  21 ;  settled  on  land  now  owned  by 
Jabcz    Abbot ;  m.,  1st,  Hannah  Little,  dau.  of  Enoch 


GENEALOGICAL COGSWELL.  495 

Little,  first  of  the  name  in  B.;  2d,  Ann  Webster, 
of  Salisbury,  N.  H.  He  subsequently  lived  on  the 
place  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Mary  Morrill.  He  d.  3 
Sept.,  1843.  He  was  for  many  years  clerk  of  the 
Westerly  Religious  Society. 

Children  of  Hannah : 

Polly,h.  23  All?.,  1794;  d.  14  Jan.,  1813. 
Judith,  b.  22  Oct.,  1795;  d.  Oct.,  1825. 

Children  of  Ann  : 

Joseph  Hale,  b.  11  July,  1815;  m.  Betsey  Varney,  of  B.;  resides  in 

Portland,  Me. 
Jeremiah  Webster,  b.  8  March,  1817;  d.  22  Feb.,  1842. 
Frances  Brown,  b.  30  Oct.,  1818;  d.  30  Oct.,  1825. 

COGSWELL. 

Compiled  by  Alfred  Little. 

John  C.  was  b.  of  English  parentage,  in  Essex,  Mass.,  28  Nov., 
1793.  His  father,  Joseph  Cogswell,  moved  to  Derry, 
N.  H.,  with  his  family  the  following  year.  From 
that  place  John  C.  removed  and  settled  in  B., 
1821,  where  he  resided  till  his  death,  14  Jan.,  1841. 
[See  Biog.]  He  m.,  1st,  Eliza  W.  Kimball,  Hanover, 
13  Nov.,  1821,  who  d.  25  Aug.,  1832 ;  2d,  Polly  C. 
Adams,  Castine,  Me.,  who  d.  3  June,  1836  ;  3d,  Cyn- 
thia Knox,  Pembroke,  3  Oct.,  1837,  who  d.  9  June, 
1848. 
Children  of  Eliza  : 

Abigail  C,  b.  20  Aug.,  1822;  m.,  1st,  Enoch  Gerrish,  Canterbury, 
7  Jan.,  1840  [see  Gerrish  jj;en.]  ;  2d,  John  O.  Wishard,  St. 
Bernice,  VermiHion  Co.,  Ind.,  21  April,  1864. 

Charles  E.,  b.  29  Jan.,  1824. 

Harriette  P.,  b.  15  April,  1827;  m.  James  C.  Taylor,  Derry;  d.  15 
Nov.,  1853. 

Caroline  P.,  b.  26  Aug.,  1830;  m.  John  Dickey,  Londonderry. 

Child  of  Cynthia : 
John  Cleveland,  b.  24  March,  1839. 

Charles  E.^  (John  C.^)  resides  in  Haverhill,  Mass. ;  m.,  1st, 
Clarissa  Campbell,  Windham  ;  2d,  Lydia  A.  Knowles, 
Chester. 

Children  of  Clarissa : 

Clara  E.,  b.  5  Dec,  1851 ;  m.   George  W.  Noyes,  Windham,  22 

Feb.,  1875. 
Mary  A.,  b.  5  July,  1856. 
Charles  R.,  b.  13  Feb.,  1859. 


496  GENEALOGICAL COGSWELL. 

Children  of  Lydia : 

Abby  E.,  b.  11  July,  1867;  d.  8  March,  1868. 
Marlha  C,  b.  20  July,  1871. 

John  Cleveland^  (John  C.^)   resides  in  Haverhill,  Mass. ;  m. 
Jane  A.  Kenniston,  of  that  city. 

Lizzie  a,  b.  22  July,  1800. 

Addie3f.,  b.  14  Dec,  1862. 

Edward  P.,  b.  22  Sept.,  1866. 

Alice  B.,  b.  22  April,  1870  ;  d.  17  April,  1872. 

Jane  M.,  b.  22  March,  1877. 

Francis  resided  on  Corser  hill ;  lawyer  hy  profession  ;  m.  Eliza- 
beth   ;  moved  to  Minn. 

Sophia,  b.  7  June,  1822. 

Amos,  b.  29  Sept.,  1824.  Before  reaching  his  majority,  with  no 
advantages  except  those  furnished  by  the  school  on  Corser 
hill,  he  began  the  study  of  law  with  Franklin  Pierce,  of 
Concord,  and  with  Asa  Fowler.  Upon  being  admitted  to 
the  bar  he  went  to  Michigan,  where  he  supported  himself 
by  teaching  school,  with  an  occasional  case  in  the  courts. 
His  first  fee  of  five  dollars  he  sent  as  a  gift  to  his  mother. 
He  began  practice  in  Hebron,  111.  Engaged  in  political 
speaking,  in  company  with  his  cousin,  John  Wentworth,  of 
Chicago,  espousing  the  cause  of  the  Democratic  party. 
Upon  the  election  of  Franklin  Pierce  to  the  Presidency  he 
was  appointed  examiner  of  pensions,  which  he  held  for  a 
short  time  only;  returned  to  111.;  practised  law  in  Wood- 
stock, and  became  editor  of  the  Woodstock  Republican  ; 
moved  to  Minn.,  1855;  was  elected  delegate  to  the  consti- 
tutional convention,  member  of  the  first  house  of  repre- 
sentatives, and  elected  speaker  of  that  body,  and  has  been 
elected  several  times  to  the  state  senate.  He  resides  at 
Owatona. 

Lydia  C,  b.  19  June,  1827;  d.  2G  Dec,  1829. 

George  IF.,  b.  3  June,  1829. 

Lydia  B.,h.  7  March,  1832. 

Frances  Annette,  b.  6  June,  1834. 

Joseph,  S.,  b.  29  Oct.,  1836;  went  to  California;  engaged  in  min- 
ing for  a  short  time;  left  the  spade  and  taught  school;  re- 
turned to  N.  H.  in  1863;  m.  Miss  Mary  F.  Darrah,  of 
Bedford.  He  entered  the  theological  seminary,  Bangor, 
Me.,  and  graduated  in  1868;  moved  to  Minn. ;  became  pas- 
tor of  the  Cong,  church,  Zumbrota.  Mrs.  C.  d.  Nov., 
1868.  Mr.  C.  was  settled  pastor  of  the  Cong,  church  at 
Holden,  Me.,  and  pastor  of  church  at  Strong,  Me.,  1873, 
and  West  Auburn.  1874,  where  he  is  still  engaged  in 
ministerial  labor.  He  m.  Miss  Ellen  N.  Hart,  of  Holden, 
1870.  He  is  a  frequent  contributor  to  the  newspaper 
and  magazine  press. 


GENEALOGICAL — CORSER.  497 

.COESER. 

Compiled  by  S.  B.  G.  Corser. 

JOHN,^  tlie  first  of  the  name  in  B.,  was  Lorn,  as  is  supposed, 
in  Scotland,  about  1678.  He  was  probably  connected 
with  the  family  of  William  Courser,*  of  Boston,  who 
came  over  in  1635,  some  of  whose  descendants,  in  the 
female  line  (family  of  D.  C.  Colesworthy,  bookseller 
on  Cornhill),  still  reside  in  that  city.  Emigrating  to 
this  country  at  an  early  age,  he  settled  in  Newbury, 
Mass.,  marrying  Tabitha  Kenney,  of  that  place,  8 
March,  1716  or  1717 ;  removed  to  B.  in  the  early  set- 
tlement of  the  town  (the  exact  date  is  not  known), 
where  he  tended  a  saw-mill  till  disabled  by  a  terrible 
accident  (1745,  says  Price's  History),  which  deprived 
him  of  sight;  lived  afterwards  with  his  son  John  on 
Corser  hill,  where  he  d.,  at  a  very  advanced  age,  in 
the  autumn  of  1776.  His  wife  is  believed  to  have  d. 
in  Newbury,  prior  to  his  removal  to  B. 

John,  b.  about  1718. 

Nathan,  m.  Susan  Daiiforth;  no  issue;  d.  ia  B.  about  1800.     His 

widow  d.  in  Tlietford,  Yt. 
Tabitha,  m.  Peter  Flood,  of  B. 
Polly,  m.  Ezekiel  Flanders,  of  Kingston,  N.  H. 
Sarah,  m.  Samuel  Davis,  of  B. 
William,  b.  about  1730. 
Hannah,  m.  John  Bowley,  of  B. 

JoHN^  (John^),  b.  about  1718 ;  settled  on  a  farm  in  Kingston  • 
lived  afterwards  in  Chester ;  moved  to  B.  in  1764, 
locating  on  Corser  hill,  afterwards  so  called,  where  he 
d.  about  1791,  aged  73.  Married,  1st,  Jane  Nichols, 
of  Newbury,  Mass.  ;  2d,  Mrs.  Hepsibah  Chase,  of 
Dunbartou,  1789. 

Children  of  Jane  : 

Thomas,  b.  1743. 
Samuel,  b.  about  1716. 
Jonathan,  b.  about  1747. 
John.  b.  IB  May,  1751. 
David,  b.  in  Kingston,  27  Jan.,  1754. 

Jane,  b.  Jan.,  1756;  d.  in  Mich.,  23  Dec,  1836,  aged  80;  m.,  1772, 
Nathan  Davis,  of  Conway;  had  7  children. 


♦This  mode  of  spelling  the  name  is  not  uncommon  in  the  earlier  records.  The  true 
form,  however  (see  description  of  family  arms  in  English  works  of  heraldry),  is  C'o?-- 
ser,  represented  originally  by  the  Latin  Cursor  (from  cim-o,  to  run),  a  Roman  cogno- 
men, and,  at  a  later  stage,  Viy  the  corresponding  Italian  form,  Corstere  (by  translation, 
Courxer),  of  which  the  name,  as  adopted  by  the  reputed  Italian  founder  of  the  family, 
at  Edinburgh,  may  be  regarded  as  an  abbreviation. 


498  GENEALOGICAL — CORSER. 

William,  b.  about  1758. 

Ahbyneezer.h.  about  1760;  m.,  1775,  Lieut.  Edward  Fitz  Gerald, 

of  B.,  who  d.  11   Dec,  1817,  aged  66.     She    d.  11   Oct., 

1836,  aged  76;  15  children. 
Molly,  b.  in  B.,  24  May,  1765;  m.  Capt.  Silas  Call,  of  B.,  9  Feb., 
1785;  d.  11  Oct.,  1839,  aged  74;  10  children. 

William^  (John^),  b.  about  1730 ;  m.  Anne  Carter,  of  B. ;  was 
drowned,  witli  liis  son  William,  in  Great  pond,  1773. 

Am,  b.  26  June,  1754. 

William  (or  Jesse),  b.  16  April,  1756 ;  drowned  in  Great  pond, 
1773. 

Mary,  b.  4  Aug.  1759 ;  d.  14  April,  1834,  aged  74  ;  m.,  1779,  James 
Uran,  of  B.,  who  d.  18  Nov.,  1845,  aged  88 ;  had  4  chil- 
dren. 

Simeon,  h.  10  July,  1763. 

Judith,  b.  29  Jan.,  1766  ;  ra.  Philander  Carter,  of  Canterbury. 

Anne,  b.  21  Feb.,  1771. 

Thomas^  (John,^  John^),  b.  1743;  farmer;  lived  in  B.  ;  m.,  1st, 
Ann  Dunlap,  of  Cliester ;  2d,  1782,  Mrs.  Mary  Down- 
ing, of  Kingston,  who  d.  6  March,  1840,  aged  95  ; 
served  in  the  Ticonderoga  campaign ;  was  drowned  in 
Long  pond,  11  Dec,  1829,  aged  86. 

Children  of  Ann  : 

James,  b.  12  Xov.,  1764. 

Polly,  b.  24  Aug.,  1766;  ni.  John  Fitz  Gerald,  16  Nov.,  1786;  had 

6  children. 
Jane,  b.  23  Oct.,  1768;  d.  13  Feb.,  1821,  aged  52  ;  m.  David  Call : 

9  children. 
Jonathan,  b.  9  Nov.,  1770;  d.   30  Nov.,  1821,  aged   61;  m.  Nancy 

Badger.  31  May,  1792;  children,— Jf>/m,  Oilman, — a  farmer 

of  Colebrook, — and  2  daughters. 
Anna  (or  Nancy),  h.  15  June,  1773;  m.  Jonathan  Downing,  of  B., 

21  June,  1792;  was  killed  by  lightning,  12  June,  1816;  8 

children. 
Thomas,  h.   12  May,  1775;  moved   to  Thetford,  Vt.  ;  m.  Abigail 

Holcomb,  8  Oct.,  1798;  children, — Benjamin,  True,  Lavina, 

and  Holcomb. 
Sarah,  b.  17  March,  1777. 

Tabitha,  b.  7  Sept.,  1779;  m.  Nicholas  ElUot,  11  May,  1802. 
Moses,  b.  25  Sept.,  1781. 

Children  of  Mary  : 
Elsey,h.  28  March,  1783;  d.  12   Sept.,  1843,  aged  60;  m.   Amos 

Thorla,  of  B.,  1803  ;  had  7  children. 
Caleb,  b.  3  Sept.  1785  ;  d.  15  Nov.,  1825,  aged  40. 
Dolly,  m.  Josiah  Jackman,  1800;  family  moved  to  Sandusky,  O. 
Miriam,  m.,  1st,  Samuel  Corser,  1806  ;  2d,  Samuel  Roby    1833. 

Samuel^  (John,^  John^),  b.  about  1746 ;  farmer  in  B.,  Avhere  he 
d.,  1  Nov.,  1826,  aged  80 ;  m.,  1st,  Sarah  Fitz  Gerald, 


GENEALOGICAL CORSER.  499 

1766 ;  2a,  Betsey  Colby,   1808  ;  fought  at  the  battle 
of  Bunker  Hill. 

Children  of  Sarah  : 

Stephen. 

Janc^  m.  Moses  Jackman,  12  Oct.,  1790. 

Sarah. 

Samuel,  stone-cutter;  m.   Miriam   Corser,  1800;  had   -SaraZi,  who 

m.,  1829,  John  L.  Pressy,  of  Canaan. 
James,  m.  Betsey  Aunis,  of  Warner,  1807;  moved  to  jSTew  York  ; 

had  Friend,  Charles,  and  others. 
Rachel;  m.  Samuel  Gookiu,  28  Sept.,  1791;  3  children. 

JoifATHAN^  (John,-  John^),  b.  about  1747 ;  farmer  in  B.,  whence 
he  removed  to  Vershire,  Vt. ;  m.  Lucy  Foster,  of  Ips- 
wich, Mass.  ;  fought  at  the  battle  of  Bennington;  d. 
in  Concord,  Vt.,  1831,  aged  84. 

Jonathan,  b.  29  Auij.,  1771. 

Thomas,h.in  B.,  4'^ Oct.,  1773;  m.  Mercy  Bennett,  of  Tlietford, 
Vt. ;  moved  to  New  York;  had  Erastus,  Phebe,  and  Caro- 
line. 

Lucy,  b.  14  June,  1776;  d.  1853,  aged  77;  m.  Jonathan  Bartlett, 
of  Norwich.  Vt.,  19  Jan.,  1801;  2  cliildren. 

Josiah,  b.  2  July,  1781. 

Polli/,  b.  11  April,  1784;  m.  Ephraim  Heath,  of  Salisbury,  1801 ; 
6  children. 

Benjamin,  b.  in  B..  4  Oct.,  1787;  moved  to  Minn.,  where  he  d.  in 
1873,  aged  85;  m.  Sarah  Gove,  of  Wilmot  ;  had  chil- 
dren,— Susan,  Friend,  Charles  A., — shoe  dealer  in  Hol- 
yoke,  Mass., — George,  and  others. 

Friend,  b.  18  April,  1791. 

JoHN^  (John,'^  John^),  b.  13  May,  1751 ;  farmer  and  inn-keeper 
in  B.  ;  d  19  Oct.,  1838,  aged  87  ;  m.  Rachel  Blasdell, 
of  Salisbury,  Mass.,  who  d.  12  May,  1828,  aged  76. 

Daniel,  d.  in  infancy. 

Daniel,  h.  28  Feb.,  1775. 

John,  b.  24  May,  1777. 

David,  h.  15  March,  1779. 

Rachel,  b.  9   April,  1781;  d.  19  Nov.,  18.54,  asjed  73;  m.  Jedediah 

Dauforth.of  Salisbury,  22   Oct.,  1801;  had  8  children. 
Rice,  b.  29  Sept.,  1783. 
Joseph,  h.  7  Feb.,  1786. 
Timothjj,h.  9  Marcii,  1788. 

Edward,  b.  18  Aug.,  1790;  m.  Sarah  Cass;  went  West. 
Richard,  b.  16  Aug.,  1792. 

David^  (John,-  John^),  b.  in  Kingston,  27  Jan.,  1754;  farm- 
er; lived  in  B.,  Avhere  he  d.  23  Aug.,  1828,  aged 
74;  m.,  17  March,  1776,  Ruth  Blasdell,  of  Salisbury, 
Mass.,  who  d.  27  May,  1844,  aged  88 ;  fought  at  the 
battle  of  Bennington. 


500  GENEALOGICAL CORSER. 

Betsey,  b.  19  March,  1777;  d.  24  April,  179G,  aged  19. 

Ruth,  b.  10  March,  1779;  m.,  1st,  Daniel  Gookin,  of  B.,  1797;  2d, 

James  Corser,  of  B.,  1828;  d.  in  Webster,    17  Sept.,  1874, 

aged  95;  had  6  children. 
David,  b.  22  March,  1781. 
Hannah,  b.  2  Feb.,  1783;  m.  William  Adams,  of  Salisbury,  Mass., 

who  d.  26  July,  1816.     She  d.  in  Amesbury,  Mass.,  1829, 

aged  46;  5  children. 
Pollij,  b.  20  Dec,  1784;  m.,  20  June,  1803,  Nathan  Davis,  of  Or- 

ford,  deceased;  d.  in  Grautville,  Mass.,  8  Oct.,  1867,  aged 

82  ;  6  children. 
Enoch,  Rev.,  b.  2  Jan.,  1787. 
Silas,  b.  14  Jan.,  1789. 
Jane,  b.  11  Jan.,  1791;  d.  in  Amesbury,  Mass.,  1863,  aged  72  ;  m., 

1st,  Joseph  Wadleigli,  of  Salisbury,  Mass.,  12  Oct.,  1813; 

2d,  Richard  Allen;  no  issue. 
Luke,  b.  10  March,  1793. 
Bliss,  b.  30  Aug.,  1795. 

Betsey,  b.  4  June,  1798;  m.  13  Feb.,  1822,  Joseph  Morse,  of  Brad- 
ford, deceased;  res.  in  Manchester;  7  children. 
Rachel,  b,  21  Sept.,  1800;  m.,  25  Jan.,  1829,  Daniel   G.  Runels,  of 

Warner,  deceased ;    d.  in  Warner,    14   July,  1839,  aged 

38;  3  children. 

William"  (John,'  Joliii^),  b.  about  1758;  settled  in  Salisbury; 
enlisted  in  the  war  of  1812,  and  d.  the  same  year 
at  Plattsburg,  N.  Y.  ;  m.  Abigail  Gordon. 

William,  lived  in  Sebec,  Me. ;  d.  about  1860;  had  issue. 

Abigail,  d.  unmarried,  in  Salisbury,  15  Sept.,  1858. 

Nathan,  m.  and  went  to  Penn.  There  are  descendants  of  Nathan 
Corser,  who  m.  Ann  Freeman,  resident  in  Kansas. 

Sally,  m.  William  Bailly,  of  Salisbury;  had  issue. 

Eliphalet,  d.  in  the  West  Indies. 

Jeremiah,  d.  in  the  army. 

John. 

Susan,  d.  young. 

Jane. 

Elias,  m. Davis  ;  lived  in  Sebec,  Me. 

Betsey,  d.  unuiarried,  in  Salisbury,  7  March,  1865. 

Lewis. 

Orrin^h.  1803;  lived  in  Salisbury,  where  he  d.,  March,  1877;  ra. 

Tucker;  children, — Eliphalet,   of  Franklin,    William, 

John,  Charles  W.,  Nathan  F.,  Abbie,  and  Mary  Ann. 

AsA^  (William,-  John^),  h.  in  B.,  26  June,  1754 ;  m.  Jane  Fitz 
Gerald;  was  drummer  in  Capt.  Kimball's  company 
at  the  battle  of  Bennington ;  moved  to  Thetford,  Yt., 
where  he  d. 

Susan,  m.  David  Manuel,  of  Derby,  Yt. 
Mehitable,  m.  Edmund  Hardy,  of  Pelham. 

William,  m.  Ani^e,  da.u.  of  Simeon   Corser;  res.  in   Thetford,  Yt. ; 
had  Benjamin,  Mary,  Persis,  Charles,  Nicholas,  and  others. 
Sally,  m.  in  Stanstead,  C.  E. 


GENEALOGICAL CORSER. 


501 


SiMEON=^  (William;'  Johni),  h.  in  B.,  10  July,  1763 ;  moved  to 
Thetford,  Vt.,  and  thence  to  Stanstead,  C.  E.,  where 
he  d.  ;  ni.  Lois  Severance,  19  Jan.,  1782. 

A7me,  m.  William,  son  of  Asa  Corser;  d.  iu  Thetford,  Vt. 

Nicholas. 

Nathan. 

Jesse. 

Clarissa. 

James*  (Thomas,^  John,-  John^),  b.  in  B.,  12  Nov.,  1764  ;  d. 
there,  23  Aug.,  1852,  aged  87;  farmer;  m.,  1st,  Mar- 
tha Fitz  Gerald,  12  March,  1786;  2d,  Mrs.  Ruth 
(Corser)  Gooldn,  24  July,  1828. 

Children  of  Martha : 

Rebecca,  b.  24  Oct.,  1787;  d.  8  Dec,  1815,  aged  28;  m.  Jeremiah 

Eastman,  29  Nov.,  1804;  had  2  children. 
John,  b.  13  July,  1791;  d.  young. 
Aiuos,  b.  15  July,  1793. 

Moses*  (Thomas,^  John,^  John^),  b.  in  B.,  25  Sept.,  1781 ;  d.  19 
A]Dril,  1830,  aged  48;  m.,  1st,  Ruth  Clough,  of  War- 
ner, 1804 ;  2d,  Betsey  Burgess,  of  Chelsea,  Vt. ;  en- 
listed from  B.  in  the  war  with  France,  1798. 

Children  of  Ruth : 

Mittie,  m. Davenport. 

Martha. 

Sally,  deceased;  m.  Charles  W.  Spaulding,  of  Lowell,  Mass.;  2 
children. 

Roxena,  m.  Ilolden,  of  Lowell. 

William  B.  (Courser),  b.  1814. 
Charlotte,  m.  Alva  Fife. 
Benjamin. 

Children  of  Betsey : 
Betsey,  deceased ;  m.  Sumner  Pratt,  of  Lowell. 

Mercy,  m. West. 

Benjamin  F.,  m. Burnham  ;  lived  iu  Lowell. 

Ruth  E. 

Stephen*  (Samuel,^  John,-  John^),  b.  in  B. ;  m.  Sarah  Goohin, 
of  B.,  30  June,  1789. 

Nathaniel,  b.  about  1790;  m.  and  settled  in  Vt. ;  d.  1807,  aged  77; 
children,— C/ar^-,b.  about  1817,  and  Willard,  of  Waukegan, 
111.;  Austin,  of  Ontonagon,  Mich.;  and  George  IF.,  of  Bar- 
ron, AVis. 

Hiildah . 

Washington,  m.  Mehitable  Fitz  Gerald. 

Dolly. 

Judith. 

Thomas. 


502  GENEALOGICAL CORSER. 

Jonathan*  (Jonatlian,^  John,-  Jolm^),  "b.  29  Aug.,  1771 ;  farmer; 
settled  in  Thetford,  Vt.,  where  he  d.  1  Jan.,  1860, 
aged  88 ;  m.  E-hoda,  dau.  of  Samuel  Jackman,  of  B., 
who  d.  1863,  aged  89. 

Ward,  b.  22  Aug.,  1798;  res.  in  Thetford. 

Rhoda,  b.  25  May,  1800;  res.  in  Thetford. 

Cyrus,  h.  13  March,  1802. 

Clark,  b.  19  June,  18()4. 

Jonathan,  b.  17  Maj%  1806. 

Martha,  b.  22  April,  18(18;  m.,  1st,  William  Howard;  2d,  Caleb 
Strong,  of  Strafford,  Vt.,  deceased;  has  children. 

Submit,  b.  4  April,  1810;  d.  8  June,  1863,  aged  53. 

Proctor,  b.  10  May,  1812;  res.  in  SufReld,  Conn. 

Oliver,  d.  young 

Mary  Ann,  b.  21  June,  1815;  d.  1865,  aged  50;  m.  George  M.  Saw- 
yer, of  Norwich,  Vt.  ;  10  chiklren. 

Ruth,  b.  4  March,  1817  ;  ra.  Newton  Smith,  of  Suffield,  Conn.,  de- 
ceased. 

Hannah,  b.  20  July,  1819;  d.  1853,  aged  34;  ra.  Jacob  Bartlett,  of 
Salisbury,  Mass.;  3  children. 

Lucia  A.  J.,  b.  23  June,  1822;  m.  Horace  Stebbens,  of  Painesville, 
O.;  3  children. 

JosiAH*  (Jonathan,^  John,^  John^),  b.  in  B.,  2  July,  1781 ,  m. 
Prudence  Heath,  of  Salisbury  ;  moved  to  Canada,  and 
thence,  about  1812,  to  Vermont ;  d.  in  Chester,  Vt.,  14 
Sept.,  1854,  aged  73. 

RutJi,  m.  Joseph  Farnum,  of  Lancaster. 

Orinda,  b.  6  Dec,  1810;  d.  6  May,  1869,  aged  58  ;  m.  Daniel  Shaw, 

of  Springfield,  Vt. 
Erastus  Thomas,  b.  26  Jan.,  1812. 
Susan,  d. 

Jamison,  m.  Eben  York,  of  Peterborough. 
AngeUne,  m.  Mills  Webb,  of  Lancaster. 
Emetine,  m.  John  M.  Spaulding,  of  Lancaster. 

Friend*  (Jonathan,^  John,-  John^),  b.  18  April,  1791  ;  black- 
smith ;  m.  Eachel  Joan  Kidder  ;  d.  in  Fitchburg, 
Mass.,  Aug.,  1849,  aged  58. 

Lucy  A.,  b.  17  Aug.,  1815;  m.  Cyrus  Beal,  of  Keene;  4  children. 
Phebe  J.,  h.  22  June,  1817;  deceased. 

Rosaline  D.,  b.  22   July,  1819  ;  m.  Luther  Keyes;  6  children. 
Emmaranza,h.   16  Nov.,  1822,  deceased;  m.  Albert  Danforth,  of 

Danville,  Vt. ;  4  children. 
Samuel  Azro,  h.  6   Dec,    1824;    m.  Luthene  Frost;    res.    in  West 

Chesterfield,  Mass.;  children, — Ida,  Ada,  Lizzie,  and  George 

A. 
George  Azor,  h.  23  Dec,  1826;  m.,  1st,  Diantha  J.  Danforth;  2d, 

Maria  J.   Trask  ;    res.   in  Leicester,    Mass.  ;    children, — 

Luella  J.  and  Georgianna  M. 
Adelia  L.,  b.  3  July,  1829,  deceased ;  m.  John  A.  Nims. 


GENEALOGICAL CORSER.  503 

Josephine  i.,  b.  2{]  Dec,  1831 ;  m.  William  Fletcher,  of  San  Frau- 

cisco,  Cal.:  2  children. 
Friendly  /.,  b.  10  Feb.,  1836;  ni.  E.  E.  Johnson,  of  Chicago,  111.; 

2  children. 

Daniel''  (Jolm,'^  John,-  Jolin^),  b.  in  B.,  28  Feb.,  1775  ;  d.  in 
Portland,  Me.,  28  Jul}'.  1853,  aged  78  ;  m.,  Jan.,  1801, 
Lucy  Taft,  of  Upton,  Mass.  ;  farmer  and  inn-keeper ; 
settled  in  Tlietford,  Vt.  ;  lived  afterwards  in  B.,  where 
his  wife  d.,  15  Jan.,  1834,  aged  54. 

Lucy  Fisher,  h.  13  Feb.,  1802;  m.,  3  April,  1810,  Daniel  M.  Winch, 
deceased;  res.  in  Pepperell,  Mass. 

Solomon  Tafl,  b.  24  Dec,  1805. 

Harvey  Fisher  (Courser),  Col.,  b.  20  Jan.,  1809. 

John*  (John,^  John,-  Johni),  b.  in  B.,  24  May,  1777  ;  d.  there,  21 
Dec,  1860,  aged  89;  farmer;  m.,  1801,  Mehitable, 
dau.  of  Daniel  Clark,  who  d.  17  April,  1837,  aged  62. 

Bernice,  b.  21  July,  1802  ;  m.,  7  Nov.,  1827,  John  Danforth,  of  B., 
who  d.  1850,  aged  65;  2  children. 

Mehitable  C,  b.  18  Oct.,  1804;  d.  7  Oct.,  1829,  aged  24. 

Mary,  h.  23  July,  1807  ;  res.  in  Concord. 

John,  b.  15  Oct.,  1809. 

Phehe  IF,  b.  15  May,  1812  ;  d.  21  July,  1812. 

Paul  C,  b.  25  June,  1813  ;  d.  21  Jan.,  1816. 

Phebe,  b.  26  April,  1816  ;  d.  22  Dec,  1855,  aged  39. 

Eunice  W.,  h.  17  May,  1818;  ni.,  12  Nov.,  1845,  George  C.  Lan- 
caster; lived  in  Concord,  where  she  d.  19  Feb.,  1873,  aged 
54 ;  5  children. 

David*  (Jolin,^  John,^  John^),  b.  in  B.,  15  March,  1779 ;  m.  Abi- 
gail Kilburn.  30  Jan.,  1805  ;  farmer  in  B.,  where  he 
d.  26  Dec,  1863,  aged  84. 

Freeman,  b.  28  April,  1806. 

Mary  Ann,  b.  1810:  d.  30  May,  1836,  aged  26;  m.,  16  Aug.,  1835, 

B.  F.  Locke,  of  Lowell,  Mass. 
Ruth  K.,  b.  18  Dec,  1817  ;  m.,  17   Aug.,  1810,  William   Green,  of 

Waterford,  Me. 

EiCE*  (John,3  John,2  Johni),  b.  in  B.,  29  Sept.,  1783  ;  d.  there, 
12  May,  1852,  aged  68  ;  tanner  and  farmer ;  followed 
the  sea  from  1810  to  1821,  spending  some  years  in 
China,  and  suffering  shipwreck  off  the  coast  of  Hol- 
land ;  m.,  1st,  19  Feb.,  1826,  Abigail  0.  Stickney,  of 
Brownfield,  Me.,  who  d.  11  May,  1835,  aged  39 ;  2d, 
26  May,  1836,  Irene  Greeley,  of  Salisbury. 

Marcia  Q.,h.  27  Feb.,  1827;  d.  18  Aug.,  1850,  aged  23. 

Octavia  E.,  b.  27  March.  1830;  d.  11  May,  1853,  aged  23. 

Sarah  J.,  b.  22  March,  1832  ;  d.  30  March,  1818,  aged  16. 

Elizabeth  J.,  b.  6  Jan.,  1834;  d.  13  July,  1854,  aged  20. 

Abba  S..  b.  31  May,  1838;  res.  in  Salisbury. 

Edwin  G.,  b.  17  April,  1810. 


504  GENEALOGICAL CORSER. 

John  //.,  b.  7  May,  1843;  d.  11  July,  1843. 
Rice  V.,\).  29  Nov.,  1844;  d.  21  April,  1848. 
Rice  H.,  b.  26  July,  1847;  d.  5  Sept.,  1848. 

Joseph''  (John,3  John,^  John^),  b.  in  B.,  7  Feb.,  1786  ;  d.  6  Jan., 
1873,  aged  86 ;  farmer  in  B. ;  m.,  1st,  Elsey  Down- 
ing, ISio  ;  2d,  Lydia  Butman,  1849. 

Cliildren  of  Elsey  : 
Judith  P.,  b.  9  Nov.,  181.5  ;  m.  Moses  G.  Downing,  IG  June,  1833; 

res.  in  Lowell,  Mass. 
Rice,h.  26   Jan.,    1818;  farmer  in   Webster;  m.    Sarah  J.  Page, 

1844;  ch\\c]ren,— Ursula,  IJzzie,  Emma,  Frank  B.,  Joseph 

II.,  and  Elmer  E. 
Ursula,  b.  25  Oct.,  1820;  m.  Harvey  Newton,  of  Orange,  Vt.,  11 

Nov.,  1838. 
Nanci/  A.,  b.  29  Sept.,  1823;  m.  William  E.  Shattuck,  184-5. 

Timothy*  (John,^  John,'^  Jolini),  b.  in  B.,  9  March,  1788  ;  d. 
there,  6  Sept.,  1819,  aged  81 ;  m.  Abiah  Eastman,  of 
riopkinton,  15  Feb.,  1815. 

Ann  E.,  b.  1  April,  1816;  m.  May,  1830,  John  J.  Coffin,  deceased; 

res.  in  Wis.;  6  children. 
Louisa,  b.   2.5  Dec,  1818;  m.,  2  June,  1841,  Solomon  B.  Greeley, 

of  Salisbury;  7  children. 

KiCHAKD*  (John,^  John,-  John^),  b.  in  B.,  16  Aug.,  1792 ;  m.  Khoda 
Shepherd,  19  Aug.,  1817 ;  moved  to  Canandaigua,  N. 
Y.,  where  he  d.,  20  Aug.,  1845,  aged  53. 
Daniel  B.,  b.  in  B.,  8  Oct.,  1818. 
Austin  G.,  b.  in  B.,  1  March,  1820. 
.4/mil/.,  b.  21  July,  1827. 
Charles  H.,  b.  3  June,  1829. 
Mary  ./.,  b.  20  Sept.,  1831. 
Lucretia  S.,  b.  5  Oct.,  1833. 

David*  (David,^  John,^  John^),  b.  in  B.,  22  March,  1781 ;  farmer; 
moved  to  New  Yorli  about  1821,  settling  in  Ogden, 
near  Rochester;  m.,  12  Jan.,  1801,  Judith,  dau.  of 
Samuel  Burbank,  of  B. ;  d.  May,  1850,  aged  69. 

Gardiner,  b.  29  Dec,  1801. 

Caleb  B.,  Col.,  b.  14  Oct.,  1803. 

Ruth,  b.  2  Aug.,  1805;  m.  Hiram  Hubbard,  of  Canandaigua,  N.  Y., 

deceased  ;  6  children. 
Francis  S.,  h.  '2i  June,  180S;  fitted  for  college;  d.  26  Nov.,  1831, 

aged  23. 

Eunice  P.,  h.  25  Nov.,  1810;  m. Hewes,  of  Canandaigua,  N.  Y. 

Harriet  L.,  b.  in  New  York,  3  March,  1824;  m.  Henry  C.  Church, 

12  Nov.,  1844;  res.  in  Lowell,  Mass.;  3  children. 

Enoch,*  Eev.  (David,^'  John,-  John^),  b.  in  B.,  2  Jan.,  1787; 
grad.  at  Middlebury  College,  1811 ;  preached  at  Lou- 
don (1817--37),  Northfield  and   Sanboruton    Bridge 


GENEALOGICAL CORSER.  505 

(1838-'43),  Epping  (1845-48),  and  other  places ;  re- 
moved to  B.  in  1848,  wliere  he  d.  17  June,  1868, 
aged  81.  He  m.,  29  May,  1817,  Sally,  dau.  of  Col. 
Joseph  Gerrish,  of  B.,  who  d.  1^  Jan.,  1851,  aged  64. 

Samuel  B.  G.,  b.  1.5  Nov.,  1818;  farmer  in  B.;  grad.  at  Dart.  Coll., 

1841;  teacher  for  several  years. 
EllzaheOi  M.  ./.,  b.  4  Jan.,  IS-'l  ;  res.  in  ]?. 
Lucrefia  jL.  F.^  b.  10  Sept.,  1823  ;  res.  in  B. 

SiLAs^  (David,'^  John,2  John^),  h.  in  B.,  14  Jan.,  1789 ;  m.,  1st, 
1  Nov.,  1810,    Sarah   Annis,  of  Warner ;  2d,  Eveline 
Keeler ;  moved  to  New  York,  where  he  d.  19  March, 
1848,  aged  59. 
Children  of  Sarah : 

Elhridge  B.,  b.  in  B.,  18  Jan.,  1812. 

Emeline,  b.  in  B..  0  July,  1814;  in. Wright,  deceased;  res.  in 

Albion,  N.  Y. 

RutJi,  b.  13  Oct.,  1816. 

Henry  H.,  b.  12  Nov.,  1818  ;  res.  in  Cal. 

Susanna,  b.  31  Dec,  1822. 

Children  of  Eveline  : 
Henrietta  L.,  b.  16  May,  182^5. 
Sarah  Jane,  b.  28  March,  1828. 
Alartha  M.,  h.  8  Feb.,  183'). 
David  W.,  b.  2.5  March,  1833. 
Elizabeth,  b.  23  June,  183.5. 
Helen  A.,  b.  17  March,  1838. 
Ruth,  b.  15  June,  1840. 

LuKE^  (David,3  John,-  John^),  h.  in  B.,  10  March,  1793;  m.,  1st, 
1824,  Mary  Clougli,  of  Loudon,  who  d.  25  Feb.,  1854 ; 
2d,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  (Whitney)  Bills  ;  farmer  in  AVeh- 
ster. 
Children  of  Marj^ : 

Joseph  C,  b.  23  Nov.,  1824:  d.  while  a  student  at  Gilmanton  acad- 
emy, preparing  for  college,  13  Oct.,  1843,  aged  18. 

Francis  H.,  b.  10  Jan.,  1827;  d.  in  Canterbury,  2.5  Feb.,  185(j, 
aged  29  ;  ni.,  Feb.,  1850,  Sarah  Perkins,  who  d.  30  March, 
1863;  had  Clara,  h.  in  B.,  16  Dec,  1850,  who  m.,  11  Jane, 
1874,  Frank  C-  Cliurcliill.  of  Lebanon. 

David  W.,  b.  19  Aug.,  1829;  d.  25  May,  1833. 

David  i>.,  b.  21  Sept.,  1835;  mechanic  in  Concord;  m.  IMary  E. 
Carter,  of  Concord,  24  May,  1860;  has  one  son,  Francis 
Henri/,  b.  15  Feb.,  1862. 

Bliss^^  (David,3  John,2  John^),  h.  in  B.^  30  Aug.,  1795;  m.,  1st, 
1  Julv,  1824,  Hannah,  dau.  of  Col.  John  Farmer,  of 
B.,  who  d.  in  Portage,  N.  Y.,  4  Feb.,  1852  ;  2d,  Pru- 
dence Parmelee,  deceased;  farmer  and  inventor;  res. 
in  Fairview,  Penn. 


506  GENEALOGICAL COKSER. 

Bliss  W.,  b.  in  B.,  29  May,  1826;  millwright;  res.  in  East  Sagi- 
naw, M:ch.  ;  m.  INIargaret  Gould,  of  Oswego,  N.  Y. ;  has 
one  son. —  Charles  F.,  b.  1857;  train-despatcher  at  Battle 
Creek,  Mich. 

John  F.,  b.  in  Brighton,  N.  Y.,  30  Nov.,  1834;  shoe  merchant  in 
Towanda,  Peiin.  ;  m.  Hattie  E.  Smith,  4  Sept.,  1861; 
children,— 7/rt7vy  P.,  h.  13  April,  1864;  Archie  F.,  b.  27 
July,  1868  ;  and  John  B.,  b.  14  Oct.,  1873. 

Amos^  (James,^  Thonias,^  John,-  Johii^),  h.  in  B.,  15  Jnl}',  1793, 
deceased ;  m.  Betsey  Bean,  of  Salisbury,  1819 ;  farm- 
er ;  res.  in  B. 

EUzaheth  B.,  b.  8  Aug.,  1820;  m.  Cyrus  Fitz,  1843;  res.  in  Web- 
ster ;  6  children. 

Newell  J.,  b.  1824;  d.  1829. 

i?e5ecca  .4.,  b.  31)  July,  1827,  deceased;  m.  Wilham  Pearson,  3 
Jan.,  1819  ;  res.  in  Webster;  had  one  sou. 

William  B.^  (Courser)  (Moses,*  Thomas,^  Jolin,^  John^),  b. 
1814 ;  res.  in  Warner  ;  m.,  1st,  Nancy  Morey,  1836  ; 
2d,  Mary  Ann  Whipple. 

Children  of  Nancy : 

Thomas  /.,  b.  July,  1837  ;  m.,  1st,  Sarah  E.  Todd,  of  New  London; 
2d,  1876^  Addie   E.  Marden,   of    New  Boston;  farmer  in 
Webster;  had  by  Sarah,  Emma  J..  George  TF.,  and  Fred. 
Nancy,  b.  Nov.,  1838  ;  m.  George  Hand,  of  Warner. 

Children  of  Mary  : 

William  M.,  b.  Aug.,  1843  ;  grocer ;  m.  and  lives  in  Dover. 
James  H.,  b.  Nov.,  1846,  deceased  ;  ra.  Abbie  Ticknor. 
3'Iari/  F.,  b.  1849:  m.  George  Parker,  of  Springfield. 
Ella  J.,  b.  Sept.,  185;; ;  m.  John  Sawtelle,  of  Warner. 
Anna,  h.  March,  1859. 

Cykus^  (Jonathan,*  Jonathan,^  John,-  John^),  b.  in  Thetford,  Vt., 
13  March,  1802  ;  farmer  ;  m.,  1st,  Marcia  Clough  ;  2d, 
Lucretia  Heath,  deceased  ;  res.  in  Thetford. 

3Iarcia  /.,  b.  1841  ;  d.  1874,  aged  33. 

Edith,  b.  1844. 

Ellen  A.,  h.  1845;  d.  1863. 

Alphonzo,  b.  1851  ;  d.  1863. 

Omer  B.,  b.  1854. 

Clark^  (Jonathan,*  Jonathan,^  John,^  John^),  b.  in  Thetford,  Vt., 
19  June,  1804  ;  m.,  1st,  Caroline  Preston  ;  2d,  Mercy 
West,  deceased  ;  farmer  in  Norwich,  Vt. 

Hersey  C.  P.,  b.  5  Dec,  1835  ;  foreman  in  a  boot  factory,  Spencer, 

Mass.;    m,  Cynthia  E.   ;    chihhen, —Imogene  E., 

Edgar  P..  and  George  H. 

Leon  W.,  b.  10  Feb.,  1850;  res.  in  Royalston,  Mass.;  m.  and  has 
children. 


GENEALOGICAL — CORSER.  507 

Jonathan^  (Jonathan,*  Jonathan,^  Jolm,^  John^),  h.  in  Thetford, 
Vt.,  17  May,  1806  ;  m.,  1st.,  Clarissa  Woodwortli ;  2d, 
1847,  Salome  Shores,  deceased ;  farmer  in  Suffield, 
Conn.,  where  he  d.,  1869,  aged  63. 

Martha  J.,  b.  2  Aug.,   1840;  m.  David  P.  Beebe;  res.  in  Buck- 

lin,  Mo.;  has  4  children. 
Albert  J.,  h.  21  Oct.,  184S  ;  res.  in  Suffield ;  m.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  P. 

Leach,  26  Aug.,  1874. 
Harriet  L.,  h.  8  March,  1851;  drowned,  1856. 
Azro  B.,  b.  21  Feb.,  1853;  m.  Julia  Cook,  15  March,  1876. 
Mary  J.,  h.l  Feb.,   1855;  ni.   Eleazer  Lyman,  of  Suffield;  d.   25 

Nov.,  1872;  1  daughter. 

EiiASTUS  Thomas^  (Josiah,*  Jonathan,'^  John,^  John^),  b.  in 
Compton,  C.  E.,  26  Jan.,  1812  ;  m.,  1st,  Harriet 
Evans  ;  2d,  Laura  Grow  ;  3d,  Xancy  Ayer  ;  4th,  Lucy 
Ayer;  farmer;  residence  (since  1867)  in  Dummers- 
ton,  Vt. 

Children  of  Harriet : 

Guy  T.,  b.  15  Feb.,  1835;  paper-maker;  m.  Ellen  M.  Gould;  has 

several  children. 
Charles  D.,  b.  -1  May,  1838;  machinist;  res.  in  Fitchburg,  Mass.; 

m.  Priscilla   R.   Upton;  children,— Mar?/,  Ilattie  L.,  and 

William  C. 
Henry  C,  b.  31  May,  1839;  d.  16  Oct.,  1862,  aged  23. 
Cellna  A.,  b.  29  April,  1841;  m.  Frye  B.  Hopkins,  of  Springfield. 

Vt.;  1  daughter. 

Child  of  Nancy  : 

Maria  A^.,  b.  10  Oct.,  1851 ;  m.,  3  Nov.,  1877,  Nelson  W.  Stevens, 
of  South  wick,  Mass. 

Children  of  Lucy : 

Frank  E.,  d.  young. 
Alfred,  d.  young. 
Adelhert  M.,  b.  30  June,  1863. 
George  E.,  b.  S  July,  1865. 
Mary  E.,  b.  5  July,  1868. 
Etta  C,  b.  17  May,  1873. 

SoLOMOi^  Taft^  (Daniel,''  John,^  John,^  John^),  b.  in  Thetford, 
Vt.,  24  Dec,  1805 ;  res.  in  Portland,  Me. ;  formerly 
superintendent  of  the  G.  T.  E.  R.,  and  more  recently 
collector  of  customs  at  Portland  ;  m.  Margaret  E 
Sawyer,  1  Jan.,  1829. 

Harriot  X.,  b.  15  Feb.,  1830;  m.  Dr.  John  M.  Cummino-s,  of  Port- 
land, 1  March,  1848;  2  children. 

Georye  H.,  b.  11  Nov.,  1831 ;  d.  31  Aug.,  1850,  aged  18. 

David  F.,  h.  14  Jan.,  1835  ;  m.  Annie  E.  Brazier  ;  res.  in  Port- 
land; children,— G'eo/v/e  H.,  b.  13  Jan.,  1863,  and  Arthur 
/.,b.  May,  1866. 

33 


508  GENEALOGICAL CORSER. 

Margaret  E.,  h.  27  IMarch,  1845;  m.  Rev.  David  A.  Easton,  a 
clergyman  of  Danbury,  Conn.,  7  Dec.  1869;   1   daughter. 

Hakvey  Fisher-^  (Courser),  Col.  (Daniel,*  Jolin,^  Johii,^  John^), 
b.  in  Thetford,  Vt.,  20  Jan.,  1809  ;  merchant  in  Nash- 
ua ;   m.  Maria  Estey,  of  Nashua,  14  May,  1839. 

Lucy  A.,  h.  3  April,  1840;  m.  William  H.    Greenleaf,  12   Sept., 

1865;  res.  in  Nashua;  has  2  children. 
George  A.,  b.  12  Oct.,  1842;  d.  1  Sept.,  1843. 
Caroline  L.  E.,  b.  16  July,  1848;  d.  10  Aug.,  1849. 

JoHN^  (John,*  John,3  John,^  John^),  h.  in  B.,  15  Oct.,  1809 ;  fit- 
ted, for  college,  and  completed  one  term  at  Dartmouth  ; 
carpenter  hy  trade  ;  .settled  in  Bristol,  where  he  ni. 
Mary  A.  Greenough,  1838 ;  d.  in  Fisherville,  21  Aug., 
1872. 

William  C,  b.  29  Aug.,  1839;  deceased. 

Brackett  G.,  h.  5  Sept.,  1841  ;  merchant  tailor  in  St.  Jolinsbury. 
'  Vt.  ;    m.   Mary   G.   Hyde,  of  Meriden,  18()2;  children, — 

Lulu  G.,  h.  10  July,  1865,  and  William  H.,  b.  24  Dec, 
1867. 

Mary  M.,  b.  4  April,  1843;  m.  Leroy  C.  Shear,  of  New  York  city. 

Norman  De  F.,  b.  24  Aug.,  1845;  merchant  tailor  in  Fi;>herville  ; 
served  in  the  w^ar  of  the  Rebellion;  ra.  Emma  E.  Session; 
children,— Z////fm  G.,  b.  9  April,  1870;  Harry  E.,  h.  13 
Aug.,  1871;  and  Herbert  //.,  b.  17  July,  1873." 

Freeman^  (David,*  John,^  John,'^  John,^),  h.  in  B.,  28  April, 
1806;  m.  Harriet  Crowell,  who  d.  19  Feb.,  1874,  aged 
62  ;  farmer  in  Webster. 

Ariadne  A.,  h.  24  Oct.,  1834;  m.  Edson  A.  Eastman;  res.  in  Con- 
cord ;  4  children. 

Sarepta,  b.  20  Sept.,  1836  ;  d.  IG  May,  1858,  aged  21. 

Hamilton,  b.  17  Aug.,  1838;  served  in  the  war  of  the  Rebellion; 
res.  in  Nevada. 

Hamlet,  b.  13  May,  1843;  res.  in  Webster. 

David  S.,  h.  6  Aug.,  1847;  attorney-at-law.  Concord;  served  in  (he 
war  of  the  Rebellion. 

John  C,  h.  0  Feb.,  1849;  res.  in  Nevada. 

Edwin  G.^  (Eice,*  John,^  John,-  Jolmi),  b.  in  B.,  17  April,  1840; 
settled  on  a  farm  in  Illinois,  whence  he  removed  to 
Concord,  where  he  d.  9  May,  1875,  aged  35  ;  m.,  25 
Nov.,  1862,  Bella  Pilkington,  of  Ellsworth,  111. 

Lizzie  L,  b.  6  Oct.,  1863. 
Willie  E.,h.  12  Aug.,  1865. 
Harry  T.,h.l  March,  1868. 
Marcia  0.,  b.  23  April,  1870. 
Judith  A.,  b.  29  May,  1873. 

Gardiner^  (David,*  David,^  Jolm,^  John^),  b.  in  B.,  29  Dec, 
1801 ;  farmer ;  res.   in   Gates,  N.   Y.,  where  he  d.  4 


GENEALOGICAL CORSER.  600 

July,  1840,  aged  38 ;  m.  Mercy  Ann  Thomas,  of  Og- 
den,  K  Y.,  11  Jan.,  1825. 

CJmrles  A.,  b.  25  Sept.,  18-25;  d.  20  Jan.,  1828. 

Lewis  //.,  b.  11  Marcli,  1827  ;  m.  Sarah  E.  Wells, .of  Ogden,  N.  Y.. 
22  Feb.,  1S.5U  ;  children, — Arabella  and  Warren  G. 

Laura  A.,  b.  19  July,  1828:  m.  Lewis  J3at;ley,  of  Pembroke,  N.  Y. 

Frances  /.,  b.  10  Sept.,  1830;  \n.  Edmund  Carroll,  of  Pembroke, 
N.  Y. 

Charles  A.,  b.  14  April,  1833;  in.  Sallie  Friedline,  of  Petnbroke, 
N.  Y.,  4  July,  1853;  children, — Franklin  S.,  Nelson  A., 
Leiois  E.,  Charles  E.,  Melvin  D.,  and  Frederic  J. 

Caroline  F.,  b.  3  May,  1835;  d.  5  Aug.,  18G7,  aged  32;  m.  Jona- 
than Tiionias,  of  Ogden,  N.  Y. 

Caleb  B.,^  Col.  (David,*'  David,^  Jolin,^  Jolm^),  b.  in  B.,  14  Oct., 
1803 ;  farmer ;  settled  in  Gates,  N.  Y. ;  removed  to 
Rochester  in  1863,  where  he  d.  26  April,  1875,  aged 
71 ;  m.,  1st,  12  Oct.,  1828,  Henrietta  L.  Spencer,  of 
Spencerport,  jST.  Y.  ;  2d,  1841,  E.  Maria  Chapman,  of 
E.  Haddam,  Conn. 

Children  of  Henrietta  : 
Helen  L.,  b.  22  Dec,  1829;  m.  George  R.  Poulton,  deceased;  res. 

in  Spencerport,  N.  Y. 
Francis  S.,h.  13  July,  1833  ;  res.  in  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
Elwood  S.,  b.  3  Oct.,  1835. 

Children  of  E.  Maria: 

Frederic  G.,  b.  12  June,  1849;  architect;  res.  in  Minneapolis,  Minn. 
Caleb  E.,  b.  1851 ;  d.  in  infancy. 
Henrietta  M.,  b.  1853  ;  d.  in  infancy. 

Elwood  S.«  (Caleb  B.,^  David,*  David,^  John,^  John^),  b.  in 
Gates,  K  Y.,  3  Oct.,  1835;  resides  in  Minneapolis, 
Minn.  ;  real  estate  dealer,  and  member  of  the  city 
government  ;  has  an  lionorable  record  as  a  soldier 
in  the  war  of  the  Eebellion,  serving  in  Co.  B.,  93d 
Eeg't  N.  Y.  Vols.,  from  Oct.,  1861,  to  May,  1864,  in 
the  various  grades  from  private  to  compan^^  com- 
mandant, and  receiving  a  severe  wound  at  Spott- 
sylvania  Court  House,  12  May,  1864,  which  ended 
his   service ;    m.   18   Oct.,    1861,    Mary  A.  Eoycraft. 

Marrj  E.,h.8T>ec,  18(33. 

Helen  //.,  b.  13  July,  18G5. 


510  GENEALOGICAL COUCH, 


COUCH. 

Compiled  by  Ephraim  Little. 

Joseph^  emigrated  from  Wales  about  1740,  and  settled  first  in 
Newljuryport,  but  removed  to  Boscawen,  probably  in 
1768.  His  name  first  appears  on  the  tax-list  for  1769. 
He  resided  where  Miss  Nancy  E.  Couch  now  lives. 
Died  1784.  Married,  1st,  Elsie  Kowell  ;  2d,  Mrs. 
Mary  [?]  Webster;  3d,  Mrs.  Muzzey. 

Children  of  Elsie : 

John,h.  1749;  d.  July,  1837. 
Elsie,  in.  John  Sawyer,  Hopkinton. 
Benjamin,  b.  25  June,  1753;  d.  26  April,  1816. 
Joseph,  b.  Dec,  1755;  d.  7  Feb.,  1821. 

Child  of  Mary : 
Mary,  b.  22  March,  1761 ;  m.  Friend  Little;  d.  14  May,  1834. 

JoHN^  (Joseph^),  m.  Polly  Gordon ;  settled  on  Battle  st.  ;  moved 
to  Springfield,  where  he  lived  seven  years ;  moved  to 
Salisbury.  When  he  moved  to  Springfield  he  was 
obliged  to  draw  his  goods  upon  a  hand-sled  for  the 
last  seven  miles,  using  snow-shoes.  Mrs.  Couch  fol- 
lowed in  his  track,  carrying  an  infant  in  her  arms. 
Occasionally  she  would  sink  so  deeply  as  to  be  com- 
pelled to  lay  the  child  down  on  the  snow  in  order  to 
extricate  herself.  Mr.  Couch  was  an  expert  with  the 
rifle,  and  shot  three  bears  near  his  house  in  Salisbury 
— the  last  that  were  killed  in  the  vicinity.  He  was 
also  an  expert  in  throwing  stones,  killing  in  one  day 
fourteen  partridges  in  that  manner. 

William,  b.  19  Oct.,  1775;  d.  11  April,  1856. 

Elsie,  m.  Nathaniel  Ware;  settled  in  Whitefield. 

John,  d.  in  infancy- 

John,  b.  7  May,  1780  ;  d.  7  Oct.,  1866. 

Polly,  m.  Enoch  Colby.         j 

Daniel,  killed  by  a  kick  from  a  horse. 

Joseph,  d.  young. 

Abigail,  m.  Bagley  Colby. 

Amos,  b.  in  Salisbury,  11  May,  1790. 

Rachel,  m.  Caleb  Watson,  Salisbury. 

Samuel,  d.  8  Jan.,  1866. 

Sally,  d.  in  infancy. 

Benjamin,  d.  in  infancy. 

Benjamin"  (Joseph^)  m.  Rachel  Heath,  of  Hampstead  ;  settled 
on  Battle  st. ;  soldier  at  Bunker  Hill,  and  was  wounded. 
Nathaniel  //.,  b.  5  Nov.,  1777;  d.  10  July,  1844. 
Jose2}h,  b.  10  Jan.,  1780;  d.  1  Aug.,  1832. 


GENEALOGICAL COUCH.  511 

Polly  P.,  b.  10  May,  1782;  m.  William  Clough,  Ilopkinton  ;  d.  24 

Jan.,  186.5. 
Benjamin,  b.  8  March,  1785;  d.  8  Aug.,  1835. 
Samuel,  b.  25  Jan.,  1789  ;  d.  1  March,  1858. 
Sally,  b.  5  Feb.,  1796  ;  m.  Ebed  Lewis,  Newburyport;  d.  3  March, 

1827. 

Joseph-  (JoseiA^)  was  soldier  in  Revolution,  enlisting  from  New- 
buryport ;  m.  Sarah  Pillsburj^,  of  that  city ;  lived  on 
homestead,  now  residence  of  Miss  Nancy  E.  Couch. 

Enoch,  b.  23  Nov.,  1785;  d.  18  Aug.,  1789. 

Sally,  b.  23  Aug.,  1787;  m.  Samuel  Little;  d.  5  June,  1852. 

Jos^epli,  Capt.,  b.  23  May,  1789;  d.  at  ISTashua,  1851. 

Enocli,  b.  12  April,  1793  ;  d.  23  April,  1867. 

Phehe,h.  2  July,  1798;  m.  Hershal  Green,  of  Salisbury. 

Eunice  T.,  b.  4  July,  1810;  m.  Peter  Coffin,  of  B. 

William^  (John,^  Joseph^)  m.,  1st,  Polly  Quimby;  2d,  Sally 
Little. 

Children  of  Polly  : 

Sally,  b.  6  June,  1799;  m.  Daniel  C.  Sargent,  Warner. 
Sophronia,  b.  8  Nov.,  1801;   m.  John  Greeley,  Salisbury;  d.  26 

April,  1876. 
Simeon,  b.  15  Jan.,  1804  ;  d.  April,  1836. 
Hannah,  b.  29  May,  1806;  m.  True  Flanders,  Salisbury. 
Abigail,  b.  21  Jan.,  1809;  m.,  1st,  John  Currier;  2d,  Joseph  L. 

Couch. 
Daniel  TF.,  b.  16  Oct.,  1812. 
Albert  /.,  b.  9  March,  1814. 

Mary,  h.  31  Oct.,  1816  ;  m.  Humphrey  Jacknian,  Warner. 
Emily  M.,  b.  29  April,  1827  ;  m.  Alfred  S.  Hilliard. 

JoHN^  (John,2  Joseph^)  m.  Lydia  Bean,  Salisbury. 

Sally,  b.  21  Jan.,  1804  ;  m.  Paul  Pearson,  of  B.  ;  d.  27  Nov.,  1875. 
Eliza,  h.  8  Dec,  1807;  m.  Nathan  Pearson,  of  B. ;  d.  17   Aug., 

1877. 
Miriam,  b.  11  March,  1810;  m.,  1st,  Nathaniel  Webster,  Salisbury; 

2d,  Jonas  jNlerriam,  Concord. 
John,  b.  4  Aug.,  1814. 

Amos^  (John,2  Joseph^)  lived  in  Salisbury ;  moved  to  P.,  1821 ; 
m.  Hannah  Pay,  Henniker,  20  March,  1814,  who  d. 
24  July,  1853. 

Hale,  b.  in  Salisbury,  26  May,  1814  ;  d.  29  Aug.,  1853. 

Eunice,  b.  in  Salisbury,  15  March,  1818. 

Charles  R.,  b.  in  B.,  22  Oct.,  1823;  d.  1  Aug.,  1824. 

Charlotte,  b.  in  B.,  12  April,  1826  ;  m.  Moody  A.  Pillsbury,  Jr. 

Samuel^  (John,^  Joseph^)  m.,  1st,  Susan  Call,  of  B.  :  2d,  Sally 
Moody,  of  B.  '  J       >         J 


512  GENEALOGICAL COUCH. 

Cliililren  of  Susan  : 

Henry  C,  b.  28  July,  182L 

Martha, J.,  b.  7  May,  1823;  d.  28  Oct.,  18-16. 

Georcje  W.,  b.  U  Aug.,  1825;  d.  13  July,  1867. 

Levi  IF.,  b.  19  Sept.,  1827. 

Charles,  b.  18  Oct.,  1829. 

Adaline,  b.  23  April,  1833;  m.  Nathan  Tucker,  Salisbury. 

I^ATHANiEL  H.^  (Benjamin,^  Joseph^),  m.  Elizabeth  Calef,  Salis- 
bury. 

Nancy  A.,  b.  15  Jan.,  1801;  m.  Amos  Stone  ;  d.  2  Nov.,  1874. 
Polly,  b.  8  Dec,  1805  ;  d.  27  Dec,  1823. 
John  G.,  b.  26  April,  18(j9. 

Joseph^  (Benjamin,"  Joseph^),  a  prominent  school  teacher;  one 
of  the  founders  of  the  Christian  Union  Society ;  m. 
Meele  Howard,  Salisbury. 

Samuel  Dana,  b.  30  Jan.,  1806;  d.  30  March,  1872. 

Joseph  Lancj,  b.  19  Feb.,  1810.  He  was  for  many  years  an  instruc- 
tor of  youth,  having  taught  fourteen  terms  in  B.,  besides 
teaching  in  a  neighboring  town.  Enjoys  in  large  measure 
the  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens.  Has  been 
many  years  justice  of  the  peace  and  quorum.  Married 
Mrs.  Abigail  Currier. 

Eliza,  b.  8  Jan.,  1814;  m.  Samuel  L.  Couch. 

Benjamin,  b.  3  April,  1817;  m.  Lydia  S.  Currier,  Hill;  moved  to 
Warner. 

Sarah,  h.  4  Feb.,  1820;  ni.  Erastus  Bugbee  ;  d.  in  Chelsea,  Yt.,  3 
April.  1860. 

Gerrish,  b.  2  July,  1825;  d.  20  Nov.,  1846. 

Benjamin^  (Benjamin,^  Joseph^)  m.  Sally  Morse,  of  B. 

Prescott,  b.  17  May,  1809  ;  d.  4  April,  1837. 

James  S.,  b.  7  May,  1811;  d.  21   June,  1877. 

Amos  A.,  h.  23  June,  1815;  ni.  Abigail  S.  Remick. 

Plummer,  h.  in  B.,  8  Feb.,  1818;  d.  20  April,  1859,  Peoria  county, 
111. 

Piachel,  b.  20  May,  1820  ;  ni.  Stephen  Blaisdell,  Goffstown. 

Benjamin  Calvin,  b.  19  Sept.,  1822;  ni.  INIartha  J.  Calef,  Salis- 
bury; lives  in  Tiskilwa,  111. 

Harriman,  b.  22  Mav,  1825;  m.  Phebe  A.  Parslial,  111. 

Caleb  Kniqht,  b.  11  June,  1829;  m.  Sophia  H.  Hall,  111.;  d.  4  Feb., 
1867. 

Samuel^  (Benjamin,-  Joseph^)  m.  Eunice  Howard,  Salisbury. 

Samuel  L.,  b.  29  Jan.,  1815;  d.  2  July,  1872. 

Hiram  il/.,  b.  16  Feb.,  1818;  d.  13  Dec,  1862  ;  physician  in  George- 
town, Mass. 
Ira  Harris,  b.  17  July,  1821. 
Elhridge  D.,  b.  27  July,  1825. 
Ellen  21.,  b.  5  April,  1835. 


GENEALOGICAL COUCH.  513 

Joseph^  (Joseph,-  Joseph^)  m.  Mehitable  Pettiiigill,  of  Salisbury, 
1816.     She  d.  Sept.,  1874. 
Enoch  P.,  b.  26  Jan.,  1819  ;  m.  Clarinda  E.  Kirk,  1844. 
Joseph,  b.  1821 ;  d.  1828. 

Enoch^  (Joseph,"-^  Joseph^)  m.,  1st,  Nancy  Eastman ;  2d,  Jane  0. 
Stickney. 

Children  of  Jane  : 
Nancy  E.,  b.  12  Feb.,  1835. 
Joseph,  h.  22  March,  1837;  d.  14  IMarcli,  1872. 
Mart/  S.,  b.  12  June,  1844;  m.   Orlando  Whitney;  d.   17    April, 
1876,  leaving  one  child,  Herbert  C,  h.  16  Nov.,  1867. 

Simeon*  (William,'^  John,"  Joseph^)  m.  Eosamond  Colby,  of  War- 
ner. 
Edgar  0..  h.  2  Jan.,  1834 ;  soldier  in  war  of  It^bcUion  ;  died    in 

isebel  prison  at  Danville,  Va.,  16  Jan..  1865. 
diaries  H.,  b.  22  Jan.,  1836;  m.  IVIarinda  Morrill. 
Simeon  A.,  b.  June,  1838;  m.  Mrs.  Barr. 

Daniel  W.*  (William,^  John,^  Joseph^)  m.,  1st,  Mary  A.  Davis, 
New  London ;  2d,  Ednor  J.  Austin,  Sutton. 

Children  of  Islary  : 
Edmond  D.,  b.  24  July,  1840. 
Sarah  J.,  b.  7  Jan.,  1842. 

Emlli/  il/.,  b.  24  June,  1844;  d.  11  April,  1875. 
Kate  P.,  b.  18  Aug.,  1846;  d.  3  March,  1861. 
Charles  H.,  b.  20  July,  1848. 
Laura  A.,  b.  14  March,  1850, 
John  T.,  h.  10  May,  1853. 

Children  of  Ednor  : 
Daniel  A.,h.  31  Oct.,  1857. 
Frank  IF.,  b.  21  July,  1861. 
Cora  E.,h.  13  May,  1865. 
Alonzo,  b.  23  June,"  1871. 

Albert  J.*  (William,^  John,"  Joseph^)  m.,  1st,  Ruth    Sargent, 
Warner ;  2d,  Abbie  B.  Smith,  Weare. 

Children  of  Ruth : 

Calvin  P. ,'b.  2  Sept.,  1835. 

Retire  il/.,  b.  5  April,   1839;  m.,   1st,  Minnie  Leavitt ;  2d,  Sarah 

Goodrich. 
Marietta  L.,  b.  31  March,  1841  ;  d.  3  Nov.,  1873. 
Ellen  il/.,  b.  16  May,  1843;  ra.  Cyrus  Dow,  Warner. 
Albert  R.,  b.  20  Sept.,  1848;  d.  20  Nov.,  1851. 

Children  of  Abbie : 
Abbie  B.,  b.  23  Dec,  1855;  m.  Leroy  C.  Stevens,  Manchester. 
Lizzie  K.,  b.  14  Aug.,  1857;  d.  14  March,  1858. 
WintJirop  5.,b.  1  Oct.,  1859. 


514  GENEALOGICAL COUCH. 

JoH>-*  (John,'^  Johu,-  Joseph^)  in.,  1st,  Almeda  Greeley,  Frank- 
lin;  2d,  Maria  Pickering,  Barustead. 

Cliildren  of  Almeda : 
Benjamin  Warren^  b.  15  Aug.,  1837. 

Clara  A.,  b.  4  Jan.,  1840;  m.  Charles  Rowell;  d.  8  May,  1867. 
Eliza  J.,  b.  15  Aug.,  1842;  m.  Edward  Clougli,  Canterbury. 

Hale*  (Amos,^  John,"  Josepli^)  m.  Adeline  Hale. 

Horace,  b.  4  Nov.,  1846;  m.  Clara  F.  Burpee;  d.  19  Aug.,  1872. 
Henry  C*  (Samuel,^  Jolin,^  Joseph)  m.,  1st,  Sarah  J.  Melvin,  of 
Weare ;  2d,  Emily  C.  Page,  of  Warner. 
Child  of  Sarah : 
Frank  il/.,  b.  24  Dec,  1850;  d.  25  June,  1851. 

Children  of  Emily : 
Sara7iJ.,h.  7  Nov.,  1857. 
Clarence  E.,  b.  4  Aug.,  1859. 
Ida  E.,  b.  13  March,  1861. 
EllaF.,  b.  16  July,  1864. 
Carrie  E.,h.S  Sept.,  1866. 
Eddie,  b.  28  Sept.,  1872. 

George  W.*  (Samuel,^  John,-  Joseph^)  m.  Mehitable  Eastman, 
Warner. 
Frank  S.,  b.  17  June,  1857. 
William  O.,  b.  18  Aug.,  1860. 
Herbert  G.,  b.  23  Sept.,  1863. 
Samuel  M,,  b.  4  April,  1866. 

Levi  W.*  (Samuel,^  John,^  Joseph^)  m.  Mary  J.  Abbott. 

Arthur  v.,  b.  24  Aug.,  1860. 

Alice  v.,  b.  4  May,  1864  ;  d.  19  Sept.,  1865. 

Annie  L.,  b.  26  April,  1867;  d.  27  April,  1867. 

Carlos  I.,  b.  16  July,  1869. 

JIary  H.,  b.  31  Oct.,  1874. 

Charles*  (Samuel,^  John,-  Joseph^)  m.,  1st,  Lucretia  M.  Abbott, 
of  Plymouth  ;  2d,  Mrs.  Judith  Bullock,  of  B. 
Child  of  Lucretia: 
Levant  M.,  b.  27  Jan.,  1868;  d.  21  Sept.,  1872. 
John  Gilman*  (Nathaniel  H.,^  Benjamin,- Joseph^)  m.  Eliza  Calef. 
Infant,  b.  10  Mav,  1844;  d.  11  May,  1844. 
David  N.,  b.  23  July,  1846. 
JohnB.,h.2Q  Aug.,  1849. 

Samuel  Dana*  (Joseph,^  Benjamin,-  Joseph^)  m.  Hannah  Stone. 
Henry  J.,  h.  23  April,  1831. 
George  S.,  b.  22  Sept.,  1833. 
Waller  S.,  b.  22  Sept..  1837. 
Clam  J.,  b.  17  Aug.,  1844;  m.  John  M.  Meserve,  Lawrence,  Mass. 


GENEALOGICAL COUCH. 


515 


Prescott*  (Benjamin,^  Beujamin/-  Joseph^)  la.  Jane  W.  Sliat- 
tuck. 
George  P.,  b.  10  Feb.,  1835  ;  d.  15  July,  1837. 

James  S.^  (Benjamin,^  Benjamin/-  Josepli^)  m.  Mary  .Eastman, 
Hopkinton. 
Raclid  C,  b.  23  April,  1815;  m.  Luke  Call,  Jr. 

Plummek/  Rev.  (Benjamin,^  Benjamin-)  moved  to  Illinois ;  was 
Methodist  minister  tliere  ;  tn.  Clarissa  Brooks,  Elm 
Grove,  Tazewell  county.  111.,  26  Sept.,  1839. 

Calvin  B.,  b.  10   Nov.,  1840. 

Manj  E.,  b.  9  Nov.,  1812;  m.  Rev.  T.  S.  Fowler,  Limestoue,  111., 

Dec,  1876. 
Sarah.h.  18  March,  1815;  d.  29  April,  1815. 
Lulher,  b.  3  June,  1816. 

Lewis  C,  b.  29  July,  1818;  d.  20  Feb.,  1859. 
Clara  E.,h.  8  May,  1851;  m.  Veeder  Vanpetter,  Limestone,  111., 

1870. 
Ella  M.,  b.  22  Oct.,  1853;  d.  22  March,  1856. 
Thomas  B.,  b.  16  Nov.,   1855;  m.  Mary  Branson,  Kingston,  111.,  19 

March,  1877. 
Fm«/.:P.,  b.  3  Sept.,  1857. 
Francelia  E.,  b.  22  Sept.,  1859. 

Samuel  Lyman^  (Samuel,^  Benjamin/-^  Joseph^)  m.  Eliza  Couch. 

Warren,  b.  7  July,  1811. 
Joseph,  b.  18  Feb.,  1843. 
Silas  W.,  b.  5  Jan.,  1816. 

Calvix  P.5  (Albert  J.,*  William^)  m.  Martha  Kennedy,  Concord, 
Nov.,  1865. 
Justin  D,  b.  11  Aug.,  1866;  d.  27  May,  1872. 
Itoswell  S.,  b.  13  Dec,  1867. 
Maud  A.,  h.  6  Nov.,  1872. 

Bexjamin  Warken^  (John,*  John,*'  John')  m.   Susie  C.  Wood- 
Avard,  Hartland,  Vt.,  3  March,  1864. 

John  H.,  b.  15  June,  1865. 
Benjamin  W.,  b.  19  Aug.,  1873. 

Hexry  J.^  (Samuel  D.,*  Joseph,^  Benjamin-)  m.  Mary  E.  Davis, 
1  Jan.,  1857. 

Charles  H.,  b.  30  Sept.,  1858. 

Arthur  D.,  b.  30  Sept.,  1861;  d.  17  Jan.,  1863. 

Alfred  G.,  b.  21  Aug.,  1863;  d.  26  Aug..  1863. 

Omar  E.,  b.  2  Dec,  1864. 

Grace  Ina,  b.  1  Oct.,  1866;  d.  17  Oct.,  1866. 

George  S.^  (Samuel  D.,*  Joseph,^  Benjamin^)  m.,  1st,  Susan  B. 
Webster,  11  Jan.,  1860  ;  2d,  Helen  E.  Davis. 


•516  GENEALOGICAL — DANFORTH. 

Children  of  Susan  : 

Herhert  W.,  b.  23  June,  1861;  d.  30  Nov.,  1861. 
Almon  W.,  b.  2  Jan.,  1863. 
Lilian  M.,  b.  22  Feb.,  1867. 

Walter   S.^  (Samuel   D.,*  Josejih/''    Benjamin^)    m.    Sarah    J, 
Webster. 
Albert  I.,  h.  12  July,  1867. 

Calvin  B.,^  Rev.  (Plummer,*  Benjamin^)  m.  Mattie  K.  Zoll,  Ver- 
mont, Fulton  Co.,  BL,  22  Oct.,  1867. 
Willie  A.,  b.  23  April,  1870. 
Frank  H.,  h.  20  J i\]y,  1873. 

DANFORTH. 

William^  was  born  in  London,  probably  1653.  He  was  a  resi- 
dent of  Newbury,  1667.  His  first  wife  died  18  Oct., 
1678,  leaving  no  children.  He  married,  2d,  Sarah 
Thorla. 

William. 

Mary. 

Richard,  b.  31  June,  1080. 

John,  b.  8  Dec,  1681;  d.  Oct.,  1772. 

Jonathan,  b.  18  May.  1685. 

Thomas,  b.  11  Sept",  1088. 

Francis,  b.  15  March,  1691. 

Joseph,  b.  12  May,  109^. 

NatHxINIel,^  grandson  of  the  above,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers 
of  B.,  came  1733. 

Abigail,  b.  7  Jan.,  1735 — the  first  child  born  in  B.    She  m.  Thomas 

Foss. 
Elkannah,  in.  Mary  Flanders,  dan.  of  Jacob;  he   lived  on  Fish  st.; 

had  son,  Joshua,  who  took  the  name  of  Joshua  Carleton. 

William,^  probably  brother  of  Nathaniel,  a  grandson  of  William^ ; 

m. Flood ;  came   to   B.,  1733 ;  owned  at   one 

time  the  mill  at  head  of  King  st. 
William,  b.  18  Aug.,  1748;  m.  Olive  Elliot;  d.  13  Oct.,  1838. 

Jedediah,  m.  Rix,  dau.  o£  Nathaniel  Rix. 

Marij,  m.  John  Johnson. 
Susan,  m.  Nathan  Corser. 

William*  (William''),  b.  18  Aug.,  1748  ;  m.  Olive  Elliot. 
Polly,  b.  22  Nov.,  1772;  m.  Folsom  Bean, 
Ruth,  b.  20  Feb.,  1777  ;  m.  Seth  Conner. 
Enoch,  b.  19  Oct.,  1774;  m.  Hannah  Haines. 
William,  b.  22  Jan.,  1780;  ra.  Betsey  Putney;  d.  24  Sept.,  1846. 
.John,  b.  Aug;.,  1784;  d.  in  infancy. 

John,  b.  18  iDec,  1785;  m.  Bernice  Corser;  d.  18  Feb.,  1850. 
Edmund,  b.  8  July,  1791;  m.  Rhoda  Cloagh;  d.  24  Oct.,  1854. 


GENEALOGICAL — DANFORTH.  51T 

William^  (William^),  h.  22  Jan.,  1780  ;  m.  Betsey   Putney  ;  d. 
24  Sept.,  1846. 

John  Putney,  h.  ii  Oct.,  1811;  m.  Susan  S.  ruhiey. 

Polly,  h.  3  Feb.  1815;  m.  Nathan  Kilhinn. 

Tainson,  b.  1  March,  1817;  in.  Josepli  W.  Jackman;  lives  in  B. 

Albert,  h.  21   Dec,  1819;  m.,   1st,  Mary  A.  Fitts ;  ^d,  Elizabeth 

Nichols;  Sd,  Rosanna  E.  Sanders. 
William,  b.  2  May,  1823  ;  m.,  1st,  Martha  Sever  ;  2d,  Lncia  Nichols; 

lives  in  Minn. ;  civil  enyineer. 
Orplm,  b.  22  Jan.,  1827;  d.  U  Aug.,  1818. 

Edmund^  (William*),  h.  8  July,  1791 ;  m.  Elioda  Clougli. 

Hannah,  b.  21  Dec,  1819;  m.  Daniel  Milton. 

Rhoda,  b.  3  Sept..  1821;  d.  21  June,  1834. 

Enoch,  b.  4  May,  1825;  m.,lst,  Melissa  Colby;  2d,  Lydia  Fisk;  lives 
in  Hopkinton. 

Georfje  Sullivan,  b.  6  May,  1827;  m.,  1st,  Maria  Colby;  2d,  Susan 
Gwiu;  lives  in  San  Francisco. 

Reuben  C,  b.  17  Aug.,  1829  ;  m.  Anna  M.  Dow;  lives  in  Concord. 

Charles  S..  b.  14  Nov.,  1831  ;  m.  Fanny  W.  Wallace;  lives  in  Con- 
cord. 

Edmund,  b.  12  Jan.,  1834;  m.  Mary  Safferty;  lives  in  Cal. 

Rhoda  Roseita,  b.  11  March,  1843  ;  m.  Josiah  C.  Shaw, 

JoHN^  (William*),  b.  18  Dec,  1785 ;  m.  Bernice  Corser. 

Orin,  b.  June,  1831  ;  m.  Abra  Morrill ;  lives  in  Gloucester,  Mass.; 

cliildren, — Arthur,  JSlary  M(n-rill. 
Etta  (christened  Mehitahle),h.  16  Oct.,  1834  ;  m.  A.  P.  Bennett;  d. 

27  May,  1876. 

PvEUBEJf   C.«   (Edmund,MVilliam,*  William^),  b.  17   Aug.,  1829; 
m.  Anna  M.  Dow,  of  Concord,  20  June,  1860. 

Marian  Elena,  b.  8  June,  1862  ;  d.  1  Feb.,  1863. 
Marian  Louisa,  b.  25  April,  1864. 
Carrie  L.,  b.  26  July,  1867  ;  d.  29  Oct.,  1867. 
Harry  ^.,  b.  1  Jan.,  1876. 

Enoch«  (Edmund^),  b.  4  May,  1824 ;  m.,  1st,  Melissa  Colby ;  2d, 
Lydia  Fisk. 
Nancy  A.,  Edward  Everett,  Edmund. 

George  Sullivan®  (Edmund^),  b.  6  May,  1827 ;  m.,  1st,  Maria 
Colby  ;  2d,  Susan  Clwin. 
Edmund,  Harry. 

Edmund®  (Edmund^),  b.   12  Jan,  1834  ;  m.  Mary  Safferty ;  four 
children. 

John  Putney®  (William^)  m.  Susan  Putney. 

Henry  P.,  b.  Nov.,  1845. 
Emily  J.,  b.  June,  1848. 


518 


GENEALOGICAL DLX. 


Albert*'  (William^)  m.,  1st,  Mary  Ann,  dan.  of  Ri.liard  Fitts, 
of  B. :  2d,  Nancy  Elizabeth  Nidiols ;  3d,  Mrs.  E.  E. 
Sanders. 

Children  of  Mary  Ann  :  • 

Fltts  Albert,  b.  7  June,  1810. 
Mary  Ann,  infant ;  d.  9  Feb.,  1851. 

Children  of  Nancy  Elizabeth  : 

Lucius  Nichols,  b.  2  April,  18.51. 
Manj  Lizzie,  b.  18  Oct.,  1857. 

Child  of  R.  E.  Sanders  : 
Emma  Lucinda,  22  Feb.,  18G1. 
William"  (William^)  m.,  1st,  Martha  Sever;  2d,  Lncia  Nichols. 
Children  of  Lucia : 

William,  b.  1861. 
Lucia,  b.  Sept.,  1865. 

DIX. 

Compiled  by  Alfred  Little. 

Ealph,!  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Ipswich,  Mass.  ;  a  fisherman ; 

removed  to  Eeading,  1662;  m.  Esther  ;  died 

there  24  SejDt.,  1688. 

John,  b.  1659;  d.  12  March,  1745. 

Samuel,  b.  1661. 

Stephen,  b.  1664;  d.  young. 

Stejihen,  b.  1672. 

Sarah. 

John-  (Ealph^)  lived  on  the  homestead  at  Eeading;  m.,  1st,  Ly- 
dia ;  2d,  Anna,  widow  of  Joseph   Fitch,  1700. 

Children  of  Lydia  : 

iS;,^.  and  d.  1693. 

Lydia,  b.  1695;  d.  1709. 
Sarah,  b.  1697. 
Elizabeth,  b.  1699. 

Children  of  Anna : 

Anna.  b.  1702. 

Samuel,  b.  1706. 

Mary  b.  1708. 

Jonathan,  b.  11  April,  1710. 

James,  b.  1712. 

Edson,  b.  1714.     [See  Hist.  Reading.] 


GENEALOGICAL — DLX. 


519 


JoxATHAN^  (Jolin,^  Ealph^),  h.  at  Reading ;  was  a  tanner  at  Lit- 
tleton, Mass. ;  removed  to  B. ;  died  there  at  the  resi- 
dence of  his  son,  Timothy,  24  Dec,  1804,  aged  94 
years,  8  months,  13  days  ;  was  member  of  church 
more  than  75  years  ;  m.,  1st,  Sarah,  dan.  of  Eev.  Ben- 
jamin Shattuck,  of  Littleton,  Mass.,  28  June,  1739, 
who  d.  there  30  Sept.,  1775,  aged  55  years,  9  months, 
17  days  [see  Shattuck  Memorial];  2d,  Miriam  Le- 
land,  of  Hollis,  Jan.,  1779,  who  d.  there  about  1833, 
aged  nearly  90. 

One  of  Sarah's  children  was 

Tlmothi,  b.  7  Dec,  1743;  d.  1824. 
Child  of  Miriam  : 

j\Iiruiin,  d   at  LloUis,  aged  about  30. 

Timothy*  (Jonathan,^  John^)  settled  in  B.  ;  was  post-master  for 
many  years  ;  removed  to  Pembroke,  where  he  died. 
Married,  1st,  Eachel  Burbank,  of  Bow,  13  Aug.,  1769  ; 
2d,  Mrs. Brown ;  3d,  Mrs.  Eliza  Cunningham, 

of  Pembroke. 

Chililren  of  Rachel : 

TiwolJi!/,  d.  at  French  Mills,  C.  E.,  14  Xov.,  1S13. 
Jusicih  Brown,  d.  iu  chililhood. 

Timothy,^  Col.  (Timothy,'*  Jonathan^)  was  merchant  in  B.  [see 
Biog.]  ;  m.,  1st.  Abigail  Wilkins,  of  Amherst,  20 
March.  1792,  who  d.  3  Dec,  1808  ;  2d,  Lucy  Hart- 
well,  of  Littleton,  Mass.,  3  July,  1809;  who  d.  30 
Dec,  1863. 

Children  of  Abigail : 

Abigail  WilJdn:^,  b.  19  Nov.,  1792;  d.  9  Mav,  1852 ;  m.  Gen.  Moody 

A.  PiUsbury,  of  B.,  1  Oct.,  1818. 
Rachel  Durhanl;  b.  18  April,  1794;  d.  15  Jan.,  1827,  at  Malta;  m. 

Rev.   Daniel    Temple,  of   Reading,  Mass.,  4   Dec,  1821. 

Were  missionaries  at  Malta,  for  which  place  they  sailed  2 

Jan.,  1822. 
Timollni  Fuller  Shattuck,  b.  11  Feb.,  179G  ;  d.  16  Oct.,  1808. 
John  A<lam><,  b.  24  July,  1798. 
Soj>hla  Wilkin.'<,  b.  1   May,  1800;  d.  26  Jan.,  1835,  Portland,  Me.  ; 

m.  Joshua  C.  Plummer,  of  B.,  25  Dec,  1828. 
Marion  Means,  b.   17   April,    1802  ;  d.  July,  1860,   iu  Brookline, 

Mass.;  m.  John  \Y.  Sullivan,  15  Dec,  1825. 
Lucy  Jane,  b.  8  April,  1804;  d.  9  Feb..  1858,  in  Bradford,  Pa.;  m. 

1st,   Philip   H.  Webster,  of  Bristol,   31   May,   1826,  mer. 

chant  at  Danbury,  who  d.  7  Dec,  1830;  2d,  Col.  Leavitt  C. 

Little,  formerly  of  B.,  30  June,  1837;  lived  at  Bradford,  Pa, 


520  GENEALOGICAL DURGIN. 

Louisa  Frances,  b.  22  July,  1S06;  m.,  1st,  Gen.  Moody  A.  Pills- 
bury,  of  B.,  25  Nov.,  1852;  2d,  Rev.  Edward  Buxton,  of 
Webster,  29  Dl^c.,  1871. 

Martlia  Sherman,  h.  16  Oct.,  18U8;  d.  11  Jan.,  1809. 

Children  of  Lucy  : 

Roger  Sherman,  b.  7  June,  1810;  d.7  Jan.,  1819,  Hillsborough,  Pa. 
Timothy  Broivne,  b.  21  Jan.,  1812. 

Catherine  Hartwell,  b.  19  May,  1813;  m.  Hon.  John  A.  BoUes, 
Washington,  D.  C. 

JoHX  A.,®  Gen.  (Timothy,^  Col.,  Timothy*),  m.  Catharine  Morgan, 
of  New  York  city,  29  May,  1826.     [See  Biog.] 

Morgan,  b.  1  Nov.,  1827,  in   New  York;  rector  of  Trinity  church, 

of  that  city;  m.   Emily  Woolsey   Souther,  of  New  York 

city,  6  June,  1874. 
Baldwin,  h.  28  Nov.,  1829,  at  Cooperstown,  N.  Y.;  d.  1852,  New 

York  city. 
John  Will-ins,  b.  8  Dec,  1832,  at  Albany,  N.  Y.;  d.  21  April,  1877, 

in  New  York  city. 
Elizabeth  Morgan,  h.  7  May,  1835,  at  Albany;  m.  Charles  F.  Blake, 

New  York  city,  11  April,  1860. 
Charles  Temple,  h.  25  Feb.,  1838,  at   Albany;  m.  Camilla   Ottalie 

Watson,  in  Loudon,  Eug.,  9  March,  1868;  d.  at  Rome, 

March,  1872. 
Catharine  Morgan,  b.  14  Jan.,  1843,  in  Madeira;  m.  Thomas  Walsh, 

in  Paris,  16  April,  1868. 
Anna  Maria,  b.  and  d.  July,  1847,  East  Hampton,  N.  Y. 

EoGER  SiiEUMAiS-,*'  Licut.  Col.  (Timotliy,^  Col.,  Timotliy*),  m. 
Mrs.  Mary  Dean.     [See  Biog.] 

Catharine  Morgan,  Emma  Sherman^  Fannij  Beall. 

Timothy  Browne''  (Timothy,^  Col.,  Timothy*)  m.  Caroline  L. 
Gibbs,  Dec,  1847. 

Florence. 

Evelyn. 

Roger  Sherman,  b.  10  Dec,  1861. 

DURGIK 

Compiled  by  Mrs.  E.  W.  Durgin. 

William-'  came  from  England  with  a  brother,  1690,  and  settled 
in  Mass. 

William,^  b.  1717 ;  m.  Hannah  Elliott ;  had  seven  sons  and  fire 
daughters ;  settled  in  Epping ;  moved  thence  to  San- 
bornton,  1768  ;  d.  1787. 

JoHN,^  b.  13  Aug,  1756 ;  m.  Lydia  Morrison ;  had  eight  children  ; 
d.  16  Oct.,  1848. 


GENEALOGICAL — EASTMAN.  521 

Samuel  Morklsox,*  b.  20  July,  1790 ;  moved  to  B.,  1812,  '13  ; 
m.  Hannah,  dau.  Capt.  Joseph  Pearson,  of  Haverhill ; 
settled  in  the  valley  near  the  church  ;  erected  building 
now  occupied  by  Charles  J.  Chadwick  and  son,  for 
dressing  cloth  and  carding  wool.  He  manufactured 
hand  spinning  and  linen  wheels  ;  carried  on  carriage- 
making  and  wheelwright  business.  He  was  deputy 
sheriff  for  many  years,  and  selectman,  and  held  vari- 
ous other  offices  of  trust.  He  was  a  kind  neighbor 
and  an  excellent  citizen.  He  d.  19  June,  1874.  His 
wife,  b.  1  Jan.,  1788,  d.  15  Feb.,  18G9. 

Horace  Johnson,  b.  20  June,  1817;  m.  Jane,  widow  of  Simeon 
Stevens,  of  Andover,  I\Iass.;  resides  in  Lawrence,  Mass; 
one  child,  Maria,  b.  19  Nov.,  1850. 

Susan  Pearson,  b.  19  May,  1820;  m.  H.  N.  Atkinson;  d.  10  May, 
1869. 

Sarah  Ann,  b.  U  May,  1822. 

Isaac  Pearson,  b.  8  June,  1826. 

Ezekiel  Webster,  b.   15  June,  1831. 

Isaac  Pearson^  (Samuel  M.*)  m.   Eliza  J.,  dau.  of  James  M. 
Mitchell,  26  Dec,  1851. 
Plumie  A.,  b.  18  Sept.,  1853;  d.  4  Oct.,  1853. 
Annie  C,  b.  24  Jan.,  1855;  d.  7  June,  1865. 
3Iary  S.,  b.  15  June,  1857. 
Willie  L,  b.  29  Aug.,  1859. 
Eddie  C,  b.  31  Dec,  1863. 

Ezekiel  W.^  (Samuel  M.*)  m.  Mary  A.,  dau.  of  Lysias  Emerson, 
25  Dec,  1866. 
Everett  W.,  h.  23  Sept.,  1867. 
Sarah  Edith,  b.  20  Jan.,  1871. 
Mary  Alice,  b.  11  June,  1872. 
Frank  H.,  h.  13  March,  1875. 

EASTMAN. 

Compiled  by  William  Temple. 

E/OGER^  came  from  England  in  1640  ;   settled  at  Salisbury. 

Joseph^  (Benjamin,^  Eoger^)  was  the  youngest  son  of  Benjamin 
and  I^aomi  (Flanders)  Eastman ;  b.  in  Salisbury, 
Mass.,  17  July,  1700 ;  m.,  24  Sept.,  1724,  Mrs.  Doro- 
thy (Lindsey)  Quimby. 

Elizabeth,  b.  1  May,  1725. 

Sarah,  b.  24  Nov.,'  1726. 

Naomi,  b.  17  Dec,  1728;  m.  Joseph  Long,  of  Chester. 

Benjamin,  b.  9  Sept.,    1730;  lived  where  Hamilton  P.  Gill  now 

lives. 
Elenor,  b.  16  April,  1732. 


522  GENEALOGICAL EASTMAN. 

TimnfJuj,  m.  Hannah  Richardson,  d.  1820,  aged  87. 
Susanna,  m.  Winthrop  Carter,  of  B.;  d.  1828,  aged  90. 
Jeremiah,  b.  in  B.,  5  Feb.,  1740.     The  other  children  were  b.  in 
Salisbury,  Mass. 

Joseph,'*  C;ipt.  (Joseph,^  John,^  Roger^)  m.,  1st,  Elizalx'th  Jack- 
inau,  dau.  of  George  Jackman ;  2d,  Abigail  Eastman, 
of  Coiicord.  He  was  captain  N.  H.  Rangers;  moved 
to  Concord;  d.  1815,  aged  95.      [See  Biog.] 

Cliilclren  of  Elizabeth : 

Willianh  b.  12  Feb.,  1708;  ra.  Phebe  Elliot;  settled  at  Horse  Hill. 
Elizabeth,  b.  19  Sept.,  1761;  d.  young. 

Children  of  Abigail: 
Ilenrtf,  h.  12  July,  17G5. 
Jame^,  b.  5  Aug.,  1707. 
Doroth/j.  b.  7  Aug.,  1769. 
Nathan,  h.  -W  July,  1772. 
Naomi,  b.  1 1  Feb.,  1775. 
Polli/,  b.  15  Oct.,  1780. 
Sarah,  b.  30  Ju]y,178o. 

Bexjamin*  (Joseph^)  m.  Snsannah  Jackman  ;  resided  in  B.  till 
1781 ;  moved  to  Newport. 
Jeremiah,  b.  2  July.  1758. 
Johnson,  b.  15  JMarch,  1704. 
Susannah,  b.  Aug..  1766. 
Ezra,  b.  4  Jane,l7(i9. 
Enoch,  b.  26  Oct.,  1772. 
Amos,  b.  18  Dec,  1774. 
Hannah,  b.  IS  March,  1777. 
Benjamin,  b.  22  June,  1781. 
Susannah,  b.  6  March,  1784. 

TiMOTHV*  (Joseph^),  h.  1733  ;  m.  Hannah  Richardson,  of  Chester. 

Sarah,  b.  2  Jan.,  1760;  ni.  Moses  Morse;  d.  16  July,  1837. 

Hannah,  b.  9  May,  1761  ;  m.  Daniel  Burbank. 

Priscilla,  h.  2  May,  1763  ;  m.  Abraham  Sweat. 

Thomas,  b.  1  Nov.,  1764;  m.  Lois  Baker. 

Lydia,  b.  25  Aug.,  1766;  m.  Jonathan  Ball. 

Enoch,  b.  31  INlarch,  1770;   m.,  1st,  Betsey  Bartlett;  2d,  Judith 

Adams. 
Pearson,  b.  8  Oct.,  1772;  ni.  Martha  Sweat. 
Jeremiah,  b.  29  Dec,  1774;  m.  Rebekah  Corser. 
Timothy,  b.  2  Dec,  1776;  m.  Dorothy  Hunt. 
Jonathan,  b   17  Sept.,  1778;  ra.  Susan  Vale. 
Polly,  m.  David  Wilharas. 


GENEALOGICAL ELLIOT.  623 

ELLIOT. 

Compiled  by  John  Kimball. 

Joseph^  moved  from  Newtou  to  the  "  Borough/'  in  Concord,  19 
Feb.,  1778.  He  m.  Lydia  Goodwin,  M'ho  was  b.  in 
Newton,  30  Jan.,  1753,  and  d.  6  June,  1856  [see  His- 
tory of  Concord,  p.  651].  On  the  one  hundredth  an- 
niversary of  her  birth,  interesting  services  were  held  at 
the  house  of  her  son,  David  Elliot.  She  was  m.  in  1773. 

Salli/,  m.  Hezekiah  Hiitcliins,  Rumford,  Me. 

Poll//,  m.  Leonard  Whitney. 

Dacifl,  m.Mehitable  Farnum;  resided  at  the  "Borough,"  in  Con- 
cord. 

Joseph,  m.  Dorcas  Farniuu. 

Frederic,  m.  Nancy  Colby. 

Jacob. 

Samuel,  m.  Emma  Sargent,  Kumford. 

Benjamin,  b.  20  April,  1789. 

Judith,  ni.  David  Colby,  Rumford. 

Eleanor,  m.  Jacob  Lufkin,  Rumford. 

Lydia,  m.  Nathaniel  Simpson,  Concord. 
Benjamin^  (Joseph^),  born  at  the  "Borough,"  in  Concord; 
m.  Judith  Colljy,  whose  father  lived  on  Dagody  hill. 
They  settled  first  in  Concord,  and  afterwards  at  the 
bend  of  the  Contoocook  river,  in  B.,  near  the  resi- 
dence of  Calvin  Gage ;  d.  July,  1865.  His  wife,  b. 
April,  1794,  d.  Sept.,  1842. 

Rlwda,  b.  22  Sept.,  1813;  m.  Enos  Hntchins. 

Parney,h.  20  Aug.,  1815;  m.,  1st,  Chase  Fowler;  2d,  Alplieus 
Clough. 

Joseph,  b.  23  Sept..  1817;  m.  Phebe  Hutchins  ;  d.  22  Feb.,  1853. 

Sarah,  b.  5  July,  1819  ;  lives  in  Oregon. 

Benjamin,  b.  8  June,  1821;  m.  Mary  Putney;  d.  Aug.,  1868. 

Phebe  J.,  b.  6  June,  1823  ;  m.  Samuel  K.  Blanchard. 

Dorcas  C,  b.  28  Aug.,  1825 ;  m.  Cyrus  F.  Fletcher,  of  West  Con- 
cord. 

Freeman.  b.l9  Sept.,  1827. 

Lucy,  b.  8  Sept.,  1829 ;  d.  8  May,  1831. 

Alfred,  b.  5  Sept.,  1832. 
Jonathan^  (another  family)  m.  Naomi  Swett. 

Moses. 

Lois,  resided  in   the   house   now   occupied   by  Luther    Gage ;   m. 
Enoch  Gerald. 

MosES^  (Jonathan^),  b.  at  Newton  ;  grad.  at  Dart,  college  1808 ; 
m.  Sarah  Parsons,  of  Newbury,  Mass.;  was  at  one 
time  settled  as  a  Congregational  minister  in  Beading, 
Vt. ;  resided  on  Queen  street  (South) ;  d.  at  Temple- 
ton,  Ma.ss.,  9  May,  1849. 
Luther  C,  Milton,  Milton,  Henry  M.,  Maria,  Elijah  P.,  Snphronia 
Moses,  Sarah,  Jonathan,  Mathew  P.,  Richard,  Lois.  ' 

34 


524  GENEALOGICAL ELLS\YORTH,  FARMER. 

ELLSWOETH. 

Samuel  m.  Paith,  dau.  of  Ezra  Ahhot.  of  Concord  [see  Abbot],  24 
March,  1829 ;  d.  6  Sept.,  1872. 
Wlllinm  G.,  h.  14  Feb.,  1830  ;  d.  8  ]\Iay,  1854. 
Jeremiah  L.,  b.  1:^  March,  1831  ;  d.  5  June,  1881. 
Charles  J.,  b.  3  Dec,  1833;  m.  Henrietta  O.  Swett. 
John  T.,  b.  10  Feb.,  1835;  d.  6  Oct.,  1867. 
Amanda  H.,  b.  8  Jan.,  1846  ;  d.  S  Nov.,  1863. 

EAEMER. 

Compiled  by  Mrs.  C.  C.  Coffin. 

The  Earmers  of  America  came  from  the  vicinity  of  Ansley, 
WarNYicksliire,  England,  of  \Yhich  place  John  Farnner  was  a  sub- 
stantial citizen  in  1604. 

JoHN,^  of  Anslejr,  probably  son  of  the  above,  married  Isabella 
Barbage,  of  Great  Parkinston.  He  died  in  Ansley 
in  1669.  His  widow,  Isabella,  came  to  Mass.,  with 
some  of  her  children,  and  settled  in  Billerica.  She 
subsequently  m.  Elder  Thomas  Wiswall,  of  Cambridge, 
now  Newton.  She  d.  in  Billerica,  Dec,  1683,  very 
aged. 

Edwakd-  (John^),  b.  at  Ansley,  1641,  came  to  Mass.,  1670-1673  ; 
settled  in  Billerica ;  admitted  to  town  privileges  11 
Jan.,  1673.     He  lived  a  short  time  in  Woburn  ;   held 

offices   of   trust  and  honor ;  m.   Mary ;  d.   in 

Billerica,  27  May,  d.727,  aged  86.  His  homestead  has 
remained  in  the  family  for  seven  generations. 

Saroh,  b.  in  England;  m.  her  cousin,  Thomas  Pollard,  of  Coven- 
try, England,  who  came  to  Billerica.     She  d.  3  May,  1725. 

John,  b.  19  Aug.,  1071;  m.  Abigail ;  d.  9  Sept.,  1736. 

Edward,  b.  22  March,  1674;  m.  Mary  Richardson;  d.  17  Dec, 
1752. 

il/any,  b.  3  Nov.,  1675.  _^ 

Barberry,  b.  26  Jan..  1677. 

EUzahelh,  b.  17  May,  1680;  m.  "William  Green,  of  Maiden. 

Thomas,  b.  8  Jan.,  1638;  m.  Sarah  Hunt;  d.  in  Hollis,  1767. 

Oliver^  h.  2  Feb.,  1686;  m.  Abigail  Johnson,  of  Woburn;  d.  23 
Feb.,  1761,  at  Billerica. 

Oliver^  (Edward,^  John^),  b.  2  Feb.,  1686 ;  m.  Abigail  Johnson. 

Abigail,  b.  22  Dec,  1717:  d.  1718. 

Abigail,  h.  14  Jan.,  1719  ;  m.  Jonathan  Richardson,  of  Billerica. 

Mary,  b.  26  Aug.,  1721 ;  m.  WiUiam  Baldwin,  of  Billerica;  d.  Sept., 

1803. 
Sarah,     }  .    i,,  -n  „    i-oq.  S  ™-  Edward  Jewett,  Rowley;  d.   1819. 
Rebecca,  \  ^-  -**  ^^c,  1<  -d,  j  j^^_  Samuel  Rogers,  of  Billerica  ;  d.  30 

Aug.,  1809. 
Oliver,  b.  31  July,  1728. 


'S 


%,.  ^^ 


x 


^C^zC 


GENEALOGICAL FARMER.  625 

Isabella,  b.  2  March,  H^il;  m.  Benjamin  Warren,  of  Billerica;  d. 

28  Feb.,  1761. 
Eilward,  b.  24  Feb.,  1734:  m.  Sarah  Brown  ;  d.  19  Aug.,  1811. 
Jolin^  b.  7  Dec,  1787;  m.,  1st,    Hannah  Davig;  2d,   Mrs.   Sarah 

(Russell)  Adams. 

John*  (Oliver,^  Edward,^  Jolini),  b.  7  Dec,  1737  ;  ra.,  1st,  Hannah 
Davis ;  2d,  Mrs.  Sarah  (Russell)  (Bowers)  Adams. 
Sarah  Russell  was  directly  connected  with  the  Russell 
family,  so  long  prominent  in  English  history, — Lord 
William  Russell,  beheaded  in  the  tower — a  woman  of 
rare  virtues  and  character.     She  was  born  in  Dracut, 

Mass. ;  m.,  1st., Bowers  ;  2d,  Adams  ; 

3d,  John  Farmer.  Upon  the  death  of  her  third  hus- 
band, she  came  to  B.  with  her  children,  John  and 
Hannah,  to  be  near  her  children  by  her  first  marriage, 
who  had  become  citizens  of  B.  She  lived  to  the  age 
of  95,  in  possession  of  all  her  faculties,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  sight,  of  which  she  was  deprived  for  more  than 
30  years.  She  d.  in  Pembroke,  March,  1846. 
Children  of  Hannah : 

Hannah,  Rebecca^  Abigail^  Polhj^  John,  Lucy. 
Children  of  Sarah : 

/o/;/i,  Col.,  b.  11  Dec,  1791;  m.  Sally  Gerrish,  dau.  of  Moses  Ger- 
rish,  of  B.  ;  d.  17  July,  ISof).     [See  Biog.  ] 

Hannah,  b.  15  Dec,  1794;  m.  Bliss  Corser,  of  BT;  d.  4  Feb.,  1852, 
Portage,  N.  Y. 

JoHN,^  Col.  (John,*  Oliver,-''  Edward,^  John^),  b.   11  Dec,  1791; 
m.  Sally  Gerrish,  11  Feb.,  1819.     [See  Biog.] 
Moses  Gerrish,  Prof.,  b.  9  Feb.,  1820;  m.  Hannah  T.  Shapleigh ; 

resides  in  Newport,  R.  I.     [See  Biog.J 
Page  French,  b.  28  June,  1821;  d.  27  July,  1822. 
John  Page,  b.  24   Sept.,  1823;  m.  Martha  Locke,  Great  Falls;  re- 
sides in  Minn. 
Sallie  Russell,  b.  30  Aug.,  1826;  m.  Charles  C.  Coffin:  resides  in 

Boston. 
Jane  Greg,        ^  b.  7  June,  1828;  ni.  Ephraim  Little,  of  Webster; 

>        d.  27  June,  1867. 
Jeremiah  Otis,  )  b.  7  June,  1S28;  d.  6  Dec,  1828. 

Moses  Gerrish«  (John,^  Col,  John,*  Oliver, "),  b.  9  Feb.,  1820  ; 
m.  Hannah  T.  Shapleigh,  of  l^lliot.  Me.     [See  Biog.] 

Sarah  Jane,  b.  22  July,  1847. 

Clarence,  b.  26  May,  1860;  d.  27  May,  1860. 
J  OHN  Page«  (John,5  Col.,  John,"  Oliver^),  b.  24  Sept.,  1823 ;  m. 
Martha  Locke,  Great  Falls. 

John  Quincg,  b.  23  Feb.,  1848 ;  d.  8  May,  18.57. 

Martha  Jane,  b.  17  June,  1851;  d.  10  March    1857. 

Mary  White,  h.  22  March,  1853. 

Charles  Russell,  b.  11  March,  1855. 


526  GENEALOGICAL — FELLOWS. 


FELLOWS. 

Tlie  Eellows  familj^  of  Boscawen  and    Salisbury  are  descend- 
ants of 

JoHN,-^  of  Kingston. 

MosES'^  was  born  in  Kingston,  9  Aug.,  1755;  settled  in  Salis- 
bury ;  m.  Sarah,  daii.  of  Reuben  Stevens,  of  Plais- 
tow  ;  d.  1846. 

Hezekiah,  b.  22  Dec,  1782  ;  d.  1783. 

Hezekiah,  b.  18  June,  1784;  m.  Pamelia  F.  Senter.     [See  Biog.] 

Moses,  h.  26  Jan.,  1786;  m.,  1st,  Miriam  Bean;  2d,  Meliitable 
Eastman,  of  Salisbury  ;  3d,  Lucia  J]astman,  sister  of  Me- 
hitable;  d.  in  Salisbury,  20  March,  1804.     [See  Biog.] 

Reuben,  b.  12  Oct.,  1789. 

Ebenezer,  b.  21  June,  1790;  m.  Elizabeth  Carr;  d.  21  Jan.,  1867. 

James  Senter,  b.  7  Nov.,  1791. 

Sarah,  h.  4  Dec,  1793. 

Samuel,  b.  28  Nov.,  1795  ;  m.  Betsey  D.  Williams;  lives  in  N.  Y. 

Elizabeth,  b.  14  Sept.,  17.97. 

Polly,  b.  8  Feb.,  180i) ;  d.  Feb..  1803. 

Meele,  b.  3  April,  1802  ;  d.  20  Oct.,  18.53. 

Adonijah,  b.  17  Marcli,  1804. 

Pierce,  b.  3  July,  1S'J7 ;  d.  April,  1862. 

Hezkkiah'^  (Moses^),  b.  18  June,  1784 ;  m.  Pamela  F.  Senter. 

Salome,  b.  26  July,  1807;  d.  23  Jan.,  1823. 

A  sou.  b.  11  July,  1809  ;  d.  30  Sept.,  1809. 

Catharine,  b.  30  Sept.,  1810;  d.  8  March,  1813. 

Ebenezer  Senter,  b.  1813  ;  d.  21  Oct.,  1829. 

John,h.7  Oct.,  1815;  grad.  Dart,  coll.,  1841;  studied  medicine; 
practitioner  at  Loudon;  m.  Leonora  Ilosmer,  of  B.;  d.  at 
Concord,  1873. 

3foses,  h.  11  March,  1818;  d.  14  July,  1819. 

Catharine  Ann,  b.  6  May,  1820;  m.  Horace  Gleason,  of  Boston,  23 
Feb.,  1837. 

Lucy  Senter,  b.  27   May,  1822;  d.  4  Oct.,  1846. 

George  Riley,  b.  19  April,  1824;  ni.  Fanny  B.  Wheeler,  of  Nash- 
ua; enlisted  in  Co.  A,  8th  N.  H.  Reg't ;  d.  at  Carrollton, 
La.,  13  Dec,  1862. 

Salome,  b.  25  Aug.,  1827;  m.  D.  A.  Macurdy. 

MosES^  (Moses,^  John^),b.  20  Jan.,  1786;  ni.,  1st,  Miriam  Bean; 
2d,  Meliitable  Eastman;  3d,  Lucia  Eastman. 

Children  of  Meliitable  : 

Miriam,  m.  Hiram  Gage. 

Caroline,  m.  Fry  W.  Gile,  of  Littleton;  lives  in  Kansas. 
Charles  W.,  m.  Piebecca  Eastman,  of  Salisbury;  merchant  in  Bos- 
ton. 


GENEALOGICAL FITZGERALD,  FLANDERS.  527 


FITZGERALD. 

Edward  [see  Eirst  Settlors],  b.  in  Ireland  ;  m.  MeliitaWe  Uran, 
sister  of  John  Uran. 

Jane,  b.  12  Jan.,  1742;  m.  Asa  Corser  [see  Corserl. 

Mary,  b.  24  Jan.,  1744. 

Sarah,  b.  14  Feb.,  1746;  m.  Samuel  Corser;  d.  1  Jan.,  1808. 

i"?'^' ;    I  b.  10  Aug.,  1748;  I  ^-  ''%f''''^\f  Ticonderoaa. 
Kehekah,  \  *  '  '  (  m.  Oliver  Plovt;  moved  to  Concord. 

Edward,  b.  24  Oct.,  1751;  m. Corser;  d.  21  jSTov.,  1817. 

Susanna,  b.  Oct.,  1753. 

Dorcas,  b.  15  Ma}',  1756;  m.  David  Carter;  d.  13  Feb.,  1846. 

Rachel,  b.  9  July,  1758;  m.  Samuel  Morse;  d.  7  Feb.,  1837. 

John,  b.  10  July,  1761. 

Martha,  b.  10  June,  1766;  m.  James  Corser;  d.  16  Feb.,  1828. 

FLANDEES. 

Stephen/  the  only  emigrant  of  the  name,  so  far  as  is  known, 
came  to  Salislnuy,  IMass.,  with  his  wife  Jane,  between 
1640  and  1640,  and  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  that 
town.     He  d.  21  June,  16S4. 

Stephen,  b.  8  March,  1646;  m.  Abigail  Carter;  d.  July,  1744. 
]\Iary. 

Philip,  b.  14  June,  1652. 
Sarah. 

Naomi,  m.  Joseph  Eastman. 

John,  b.  11  Feb.,  1659;  m.  Elizabeth  Sargent;  d.  at  South  Hamp- 
ton, 1745. 

John-  (Stephen^),  b.  11  Feb.,  1659;  m.  Elizabeth  Sargent. 

Jacob,  h.  5  Aug.,   1689;  m.  Mercy  Clough;  John,  Ezekiel,  Josiah, 
Philip,  Jonathan,  Tamson,  Hannah. 

Jacob^  (John,2  Stephen^).  An  early  settler  of  B.  One  of  the 
committee  to  build  the  log  meeting-house,  1738.  He 
came  from  South  Hampton ;  m.  Mercy  Clough. 

Tahitha,  b.  7  April,  1711;  m.  Andrew  Bohonon. 

Jacob,  b.  5  Aug.,  1715;  in.  Naomi  Darling;  lived  on  Fish  st. 

Jesse,  Dea.,  m.  Rath  Webster,  of  SaUsbury. 

Ezekiel,  m.  Sarah  Bishop. 

John,  m.  Eunice  Jaciiman. 

Philip,  killed  at  Crown  Point  [see  Military  Historj'], 

Betsey,  m.  Daniel  Rolfe. 

Ruth,  m.  John  Elliot. 

Hannah,  m.  John  Knowlton. 

JSIehitable. 

Jacob*  (Jacob,^  John,"  Steplien^)  m.  Naomi  Darling. 
Mercy,  b.  17  May,  1745. 
Joseph,  b.  27  July,  1753. 


528  GENEALOGICAL — FLANDERS. 


Mary^  b.  13  May,  1755;  m.  Elkannah  Danforth, 
O/tesi/phorus,  b.  20  Dec,  17G1  ;  m.  Sarah  Foster. 

Jesse*  (Jacob,^  John,-  Stephen^),  Jeacon  of  B.  church  ;  soldier  at 
Bunker  Hill,  Canada,  &c.  [See  Military  History.] 
Married  lluth  Webster,  of  Salisbury  ;  resided  in  house 
owned  by  F.  P.  Atkinson. 

Moses,  h.  20  Jan.,  1749;  d.  young. 

Hannah,  b.  17  May,  1754;  m.  Aaron  Flanders;  d.  13  Dec,  1844. 

Jesse,  h.  13  Aug.,  1755  ;  m.  Elenor  INIorey. 

David,  Csipt.,  b.  19  Jan.,  1758;  m.  Hannah  Kimball;  d.  31  Dec, 
184'2.  He  was  in  battle  of  Banker  Hill  ;  lived  on  Water 
St.,  at  corner  of  road  leading  to  Great  Pond,  near  Bradley 
Atkinson's  residence  ;  d.  in  Franklin. 

Sarah,  b.  21  Feb.,  1760;  d.  young. 

Mercy,  b.  28  March.  1702. 

il/o.se.s,  b.  2  June,  1767;  m.  Hannah  Clark. 

Sarah,  b.  12  Oct.,  1769  ;  m.  Charles  Collins. 

EzEKiEL'*  (Jacob,^  John,^  Stephen^)  m.  Sarah  Bishop  ;  lived  at 
corner  below  South  school-house,  on  Water  st. ;  killed 
by  the  Indians  while  hunting  beaver  at  Newfound 
lake,  1756. 

Ezekiel,  b.  1743;  ni.  Jerusha  Goodwin;  d.  1  Jnue.  1825. 
Enos,  b.  8  Feb.,  1745;  lu.  Sarah  Laugley,  of  Durham. 
Sarah,  b.  2  Dec,  1747. 
Susannah,  h.  2  Nov.,  1740. 

Aphia,  b.  3  March,  1752 ;  m. Colby. 

Jemima,  b.  9  April,  1754;  m.  Simeon  Danforth;  d.  15  May,  1812. 
Benjamin,  b.  8  Aug.,  1856;  lost  at  sea. 

John*  (Jacob,^  John,^  Stephen^)  m.  Eunice  Jackman  ;  lived 
where  his  grandson  Jacob  now  lives,  near  corner  of 
road  leading  to  east  end  of  Great  Pond. 

Aaron,  b.  5  Aug.,  1750;  m.  Hannah  Fhinders. 

/o/i/i,  Lieut.,  b.  13  Oct.,  1752;  m.  Elizabeth,  widow  of  John  Ste- 
vens, dan.  of  George  Jackman,  E.sq. ;  served  iu  Revolution. 
[See  Biog.] 

Betty,  b.  13  June,  1755;  m.  Nicholas  Elliot. 

Daniel,  b.  18  June,  1758;  d.  young. 

Lois,  b.  16  Feb.,  1760;  m.  Joseph  Kuowlton. 

Daniel,  b.  16  Sept.,  1762;  m.  Greeley. 

Jyunice,  h.  9  Jul3%  1765;  m.  Peter  Bean. 

Jacob,  b.  11  April,  1768  ;  m.  Margaret  Rogers. 

Jackman,  b.  9  Aug.,  1773. 

Joseph,  m.  Relief  Brown. 

Patience. 

EzEKiEi/  (Ezekiel,*  Jacob,^  John,-  Stephen^),  b.  1743;  m.  Jerusha 
Goodwin,  of  Concord ;  built  house  on  town  poor-farm, 
Water  st. 


GENEALOGICAL — FLANDERS. 


529 


Manj,  b.  20  N'ov.,  1766;  in.  Samuel  Robie. 

Sarah,  b.  13  Feb.,  1768;  m.  Samuel  Hemphill. 

Martha,  b.  23  Sept.,  1769;  m.  Joseph  llule. 

Susannah,  h.  6  Aug.,  1771;  m.  Thomas  Austin, 

Anna,  b.  3  June,  1774;  m.  Eliphalet  Holmes. 

Ezel-lel. 

Li/c/ia,  b.  20  June,  1777;  m.  Jeremiah  Webber. 

Israel,  b.  13  Nov.,  1780;  m.  Sally  Carr. 

Benjamin,  b.  19  Aug.,  1782;  m.  Polly,  dau.  of  Eliakim  Walker. 

Enos^  (Ezeldel,"  Jacob,^  John,^  Stephen^),  b.  8  Feb.,  1745  ;  m. 
Sarah  Langley,  of  Durham  ;  moved  to  Vershire,  \t. 

Enos.  h.  17  July,  1770. 

Samuel,  b.  7  Feb.,  1773. 

John,  b.  11  Aug.,  1777  ;  m.  Polly  Brewer. 

Betsei/,  b.  20  Dec,  1778. 

Benjamin,  m.  Sarah  Funnell. 

Aarox^  (.John,*  Jacob,^  Johu,'-^  Stephen^),  b.  5  Aug.,  1750  ;  m. 

liannali  Fhxnders  ;  lived  at  corner  of  Water  st.,  lower 

end ;  d.  13  Feb.,  1846. 
Aaron,  b.  15  July,  1773;  m.  Betsey  Fellows,  of  Dorchester;  d.  in 

Hudson,  N.  Y. 
Hannah,  b.  3  Jan.,  1775  ;  m.  Phineas  Flanders;  d.  13  June,  1856, 
Mehitahle,  b.  11  Jan.,  1776  ;  d.  April,  1867, 
Sophia,  b.  25  June,  1778  ;  d.  5  Oct.,  1799. 
Jesse,  b.  18  July,  1779  ;  m.   Lydia   Quimby,  of  Springfield  ;  d.  20 

Sept.,  1850. 
John,  b.  13  .Jan.,  1781 ;  m.  Hannah  Haines,  of  Dorchester;  d.  at  St. 

Albans. 
Drusilla,  b.  18  Feb.,  1782  ;  m.  Eleazar  Burbank,  of  St.  Albans. 
Moses,  b.  24  Sept.,  1783  ;  m.  Eunice  Flifnders;  d.  at  Ypsilauti,  Mich. 
Jacob,  b.  18  .Jan.,  1785;  m.  Betsey  Colt;  d.  at  Cambria,  N.  Y. 
Ruth,  b.  10  July,  1786;  d.  1799. 

Webster,  b.  25  May,  1788;  m.  Olive  Foster;  d.  at  St.  Albans. 
Rebecca,  b.  12  Sept.,  1790 ;  m.  John  Hart ;  d.  at  Pomfret,  Yt, 
Charlotte,  b.  31  March,  1792. 

Apphia  Coffin,  7  Nov.,  1793;  m.  Samuel  C.  Flanders;  d.  1846. 
Zilphia,     '   K    lOMnreh   1705-  ^  "'•  Joseph  Burpee;  d.  1807. 
Experience,  \  ^-  "^^  ^^^^"^"^^^^  "^^  ^^'  |  m,  Sam'l  Sanborn,  of  Dorchester. 

Samuel  C.^  (Johnj^Phineas-*),  b.  28  Feb.,  1793  ;  m.  Anna  C,  dau. 
of  Aaron  Flanders  ;  d.  1866. 
Guy  C,  b.  1  Jan.    1818;  d.  1837. 
Plumn  Ann,  b.  25  May,  1819  ;  d.  3  Nov.,  1841. 
Elizabeth   J.,  b.  11  Dec,  1820;  m.   Phineas  Flanders;  resides  in 

Webster. 
Hannibal  W.,  b.  21  April,  1822;  m.  Ann  Regan;  resides  in  B, 
Joh7i  S.,  d.  in  infancy. 
John  S.,  b.  2  Sejjt.,  1826;  d,  at  Tiffin,  O. 
Louisa  M.,  b.  2  Aug.,  1828;  d.  Aug.,  1841. 

Samuel  S.,  h.  25  Feb.,  1830;  m.  Rebecca  Regan  ;  d,  at  Clyde,  O. 
Lucien  G.,  b.  8  Dec,  1834;  d.  25  Dec,  1841. 


530  GENEALOGICAL FLANDERS. 

JoHx/  Lieut.  fJolm/  Jacob^),  b.  13  Oct.,  1752 ;  soldier  of  Eevo- 
lution  [see  Military  History]  ;  m.  Elizabeth,  widow  of 
John  Stevens  ;  d.  1  April,  1827. 

John  S.,  b.  15  Nov.,  1781. 

George  /.,  b.  10  Aug.,  1783;  m.,  1st,  Polly  Call ;  2(1,  Cyuthia  Ash- 
ley, of  Owego,  N.  Y. 
Phineas,  b.  5  Jane,  1789;  in.  Charlotte,  dan.  of  Aaron  Flanders. 
Elizabeth,  b.  18  May,  1791  ;  m.  Samnel  B.  Bailey. 
Samuel  C,  b.  28  Feb.,  1793;  m.  Anna  C.,dau.  of  Aaron  Flanders. 
Philip,  h.  29  Feb.,  1797. 
Gw/  C,  b.  18  March,  1798  ;  d.  at  sea. 
Joseph,  b.  27  July,  18"0. 
Eunice,  b.  26  Sept.,  1802;  m.  Moses  Flanders. 

Phineas''  (John,^  Lieut.)  m.  Charlotte  Flanders. 
Charlotle,h.  17  June,  1815. 
MehitaUe,  b.  6  May,  1816. 
PhineUe,h.  1818;  d.  young. 

Phineus,  b.  1  July,  1820;  m.  Elizabeth  J.,  dau.  of  Samuel  C.  Flan- 
ders. 
Laoote,  b.  21  April,  1822  ;  d.  young. 

Phi>sEAs"  (Phineas'')  m.  Elizabeth  J.  Flanders ;  resides  in  Weh- 
ster. 
LiicienP.,h.  17  Sept.,  1851. 
Lottie  A.,h.  16  Oct.,  1856. 
Louisa  J.,  h.  18  Jan.,  1861. 

Hanxibal  W.^  (Samuel  C.,'^  John,^  Lieut.),  b.  21  April,  1822 ; 
m.  Ann  Ryan. 
LeanderR..  h.  31  An?.,  1857. 
Ann  M.,h.  4:  Feb.,  18-55. 
Edgar  H.,  b.  Oct.,  1864. 

Samuel  S.'   (Samuel  C.,«  John,^  Lieut.),  b.  25  Feb.,  1830 ;  m. 
Rebecca  Regan ;  d.  in  Clyde,  O. 
Emma  J.,  b.  22  June,  1854. 
John  S.,  h.  1  Jan.,  1856. 
Thomas  J.,  b.  2  Sept.,  1857. 
George  S. 
Oliver  H. 
Mattie  A. 

Jacob^  (Jolm,^  JacoF),  b.  11  April,  1768  ;  m.  Margaret  Rogers; 
lived  in  house  now  the  residence  of  Jacob  C. 
Samuel  R.,  m.  Margaret  Burnhani,  of  Bow. 
Jacob  C,  m.  Louisa,  dau.  of  David  Jackmau. 

Samuel  R.*'  (Jacob^)  m.  Margaret  Burnham. 

Margaret,  Jacob,  Samuel. 
Jacob  C.*^  (Jacob'^j  ra.  Louisa  Jackman. 

David,  who  enlisted  in  the  U.   S.  service,  supposed  to  have  been 
killed  in  battle. 


GENEALOGICAL — FOWLER. 


531 


FOWLER. 

Samuel,^  lb.  probably  in  Newbury  ;  m.  Abigail . 

Sarah,  b.  3  Jan.,  1726;  m.  John  Hale. 

Olive,  h.  23  Sept.,  1728. 

Lemuel,  b    28  Oct.,  1730;  d.  8  Ansj.,  1730. 

Samuel.}  ,     ,0  ^.f     17-0.    S  '!•  -  F«b.,  1733. 

Abigail,  \  ^-  ^-^  ^'^■■'  ^J'^-'    \  d.  12  Aug.,  1730. 

Samuel,  b.  13  Sept.,  1734. 

Lemuel   h.  4  Sept.,  1730. 

Anna,  b.  2  Marcli,  1739;  m.  Samuel  Jackman. 

Lucy,  in.  Ephraini  Woodbury. 

Lemuel'^   (Samuel^),  b.  4  Sept.,  1736';  m.   Mary  ;  lived 

near  Beaver  Dam  brook. 
Sa7miel,  b.  9  Feb.,  1758. 
Antia.  b.  20  Nov.,  1759. 
Molii/,h.  24  Nov.,  1701. 
Royal,  b.  9  July,  1763. 
Nathaniel,  b.  23  July,  1765. 
Elizabeth,  b.  11  Jan.,  1768. 
Abif/ail,  b.  22  Dec,  1771. 
Olive,  h.  21  Sept.,  1773." 
Lemuel,  b.  18  Oct.,  1770. 
Samuel,  b.  21  Oct.,  178U;  m.  Eunice,  dan.  of  Eliphalet  Kilhurn,  of  B. 

Samuel,^  (Lemuel,-  Samuel^),  b.  21  Sept.,  1780;  ra.  Eunice  Kil- 
buru,  of  B.  ;  lived  on  Corser  liill. 
Cejiha.^,  b.  7  Feb.,  1702. 
Rufus,  b.  20  Feb.,  1804. 
Mary,  in.  Jedediah  Danforth. 

Eunice,  b.  27  Aug.,  1808;  m.  Wm.  T.  Pillsbnry,  of  B. 
Stanton  P.,  b.  30  April,  181 1 ;  m.  Jane  Hallock. 
Sarah  K.,  b.  20  June,  1814;  m.  James  Howe. 
Harriet,  b.  10  Feb.,  1817;  m.  Aaron  Brown. 
Nathaniel,  b.  12  March,  1819. 
Elizabeth^  b.  2  Aug.,  1824;  m.  Nicholas  Sheik. 

Lemuel^  (Lemuel/^  SamueP),  b.  18  Oct.,  1796. 

Royal,  b.  23  June,  1798. 
Samuel,  b.  20  May,  1801. 
Benjamin,  h.  16  July,  1805. 
Milbury,  b.  15  Oct.,  1807. 
Oily,  b.  13  Oct.,  1809. 
Lemuel,  b.  24  June,  1815. 

Sta^^tois"  Peektice*  (SanuieP),  b.  30  'April,  1811 ;  m.  Jane  N. 
Hallock. 
Stanton  P.,  b.  20  Aug.,  1850;  d.  Jan.,  1859. 
Charles  Augustus,  b.  16  Feb.,  1848. 
Cephas,  lives  in  Fisherville. 


532  GENEALOGICAL FRENCH. 

John,  b.  2  Dec,  1772;  an  early  settler  in  B.,  cousin  j)robably 
of  Lemuel.  He  built  a  house  on  Queen  st.  His  sec- 
ond wife  was  Mrs.  Anna  (Ellison)  Eamford. 

Samuel  came  from  ISTewbury,  probably  the  first  lawyer  and  tav- 
ern-keeper in  B.  His  second  wife  was  Mrs.  Carter, 
Avidow  of  Dr.  Ezra  Carter,  of  Concord,  whose  two 
daughters  married  Nathaniel  Green,  Esq.,  and  Dr. 
Daniel  Peterson.  He  was  a  prominent  and  influen- 
tial citizen. 

FEENCH. 

Compiled  by  Alfred  Little. 

JoEL,i  |j_  .^t  Tewksbury,  Mass.,  24  May,  1779 ;  d.  27  Se])t.,  1826 ; 
was  merchant  in  B.,  1801  to  1811,  and  town-clerk, 
1807  to  1809.  He,  in  connection  with  William  G. 
Emerson,  and  Col.  Joseph  and  X.  Peabody  Atkinson, 
set  out  the  elm  trees  now  standing  on  west  side  of  the 
street,  between  his  house  (now  owned  by  Mrs.  Daniel 
Y.  Bickford)  and  the  Ambrose  hotel.  He  m.  Susan- 
nah, dau.  of  Col.  Henry  and  Martlia  (Clough)  Ger- 
rish,  of  B.,  29  March,  1804.  ■  She  d.  at  K"ashua,  2  Jan., 
1867. 

John  S.  .1.,  b.  1.5  Feb.,  1805;  d.  26  Jnlv,  1871,  in  Nashua. 

Henry  S.  G.,  b.  27  April,  1807;  d.  14  Feb.,  1842,  in  Bangkok, 
Siam. 

Enoch  C.  G.,  b.  25  June,  1809.  Followed  the  sea.  First  voyage 
was  on  a  wlialing  vessel  cruising  in  the  Southern  ocean. 
lie  d.  20  May,  1827,  on  a  return  voyage  from  Rotterdam, 
while  sailing  through  the  English  channel,  and  was  buried 
at  sea  off  Portsmouth,  England. 

Imac  S.  P.,  b.  27  Sept.,  18U. 

Martha  G.,  b.  12  Dec,  1814;  d.  30  Dec.,  1877,  in  Nashua. 

Samuel  W.  Z.,  b.  28  July,  1817. 

Stephen  L.  G.,  h.  11  Nov.,  1821;  deacon  of  1st  Congregational 
church,  Nashua. 

John  S.  A."^  (JoeP)  removed  from  B.  to  Nashua ;  m.  Mary  K. 
Everdean,  of  Gloucester,  Mass,  18  Feb.,  1836. 

Helen  IF.,  b.  at  B.  2  Feb.,  1838;  ni.  John  C.  Cochran,  New  Bos- 
ton, 18  May,  1861;  resided  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.  She  d.  at 
Nashua. 

John  A.,  b.  at  B.,  28  March,  18-10;  m.  Emily  W.  Leavitt,  of  Flush- 
ing, N.  Y.,  14  Sept.,  1870.  He  grad.  at  Williams  college, 
1862  ;  licensed^o  preach  by  tlie  Presbytery  of  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.,  1866;  settled  in  Morristown,  N.  J.,  1868;  settled 
over  the  4th  Presbyterian  church  in  Chicago,  April,  1877. 

Joseph  H.,  b.  at  B.,  19  Oct.,  1812. 

Man/  F.,  h.  at  Nashua,  2  March,  1849. 

Frederic  S.,  h.  at  Nashua,  8  July,  1854. 


GENEALOGICAL — FRENCH. 


633 


Henry  S.  G.,'  Eev.  (JoeP),  was  ordained  at  C<;mcord  for  the  for- 
eign missionary  service,  19  Sept.,  1838 ;  m.  Sarah  C. 
Allison,  of  Concord,  9  April,  1839.  They  sailed  as  mis- 
sionaries for  Siam,  8  July  following;  arrived  at  Singa- 
pore in  Oct.,  where  he  remained  six  months.  During 
this  time  he  was  engaged  in  the  study  of  the  Siamese 
language,  and  in  type-cutting.  He  reached  Bangkok 
in  May,  1840,  and  became  superintendent  of  the  Mis- 
sion })rinting  department.  [See  Biog.] 
Henry  A.,  h.  Bangkok,  Siain,  10  May,  18-il;  learned  the  printers' 
trade  at  Concord;  now  editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Colo- 
rado  Sun,  published  at  Greeley,  Col. 

Isaac  S.  P.-  (Joel^)  resides  in  Lynn,  Mass. ;  m.  Lucinda  Brazer, 
of  Charlestown,  Mass.,  28  Nov.,  1838. 
Rlartlia  ./.,  b.  at  Charlestown,  16  Jan.,  1842. 
Henry  IF.,  b.  at  Charlestown,  21  Dec,  1843. 

Henry  W.^  (Isaac  S.  P.,'^  JoeP)  resides  in  Lynn,  INIass. ;  m.  Mary 
E.  Eichardson,  of  Lynn,  20  Sept.,  1871. 
Mary  P..  h.  14  July,  1872. 
Grace  P.,h.  25  Nov.,  1876. 

FRENCH. 

Compiled  by  Joliu  Kiuiball. 

James^  moved  from  Rindge   to   B.  in   1809 ;  settled  on  Fish  st.  ; 

m.,  1st, Cassell,  of  Rindge ;  2d,  Olive  Sawyer, 

of  Canterbury  ;  d.  1  Sept ,  1822. 

Children  of  Olive  : 
Francis  S.,  b.  31  May,  1810;  m.  Asenath  Sawyer;  d.  4  April,  1870. 
Olive,  b.  1  Feb.,  1812;  m.  Stewart  Noyes,  Canterbury. 
Asa  M.,  b.  3  Oct.,  1814;  d.  8  Feb.,  1819. 

Francis  S."  (James^),  h.  31  May,  L870.  A  citizen  prominent  in 
public  affairs.     [See  Biog.] 

Anna  M..  b.  2  May,  1839;  grad.  at  xMerideu  academy,  1857;  m.  D. 
M.  Tenney.  of  Groton,  1872. 

Emma,  b.  6  May,  1814:  d.  19  Aug.,  1845. 

James  F.,  b.  14  Jau.,  1848;  ra.  Sarah  E.  Vnggin,  1875. 

Asa  M.,  b.  14  March,  1850;  grad.  Dart.  College,  1872  ;  a  civd  en- 
gineer, Texas. 

Willie  A.,  b.  6  Dec,  1854;  drowned  in  Merrimack  river,  17  July, 
1870. 


534  GENEALOGICAL GAGE, 

GAGE. 

Compiled  by  Isaac  K.  Gage. 

The  Boscawen  branch  of  the   Gage  family  is  descended  from 

THADDEUSj'^whose  two  sons,  E-ichard  and  William,  settled  in  B. 

KiCHAKD-  (Thaddeus^),  b.  in  Methuen,  Mass.,  11  Dec,  1776;  m. 
Susannah,  dan.  of  Capt.  John  Chandler,  6  Feb.,  1805. 
He  moved  into  B.  previous  to  1804 ;  settled  near  the 
lower  falls  on  the  Contoocook,  and  subsequently  in 
company  with  his  brother  acquired  a  large  landed  es- 
tate, including  water  T)rivileges  and  mills,  and  carried 
on  the  lumbering  business,  which  has  been  continued 
by  his  sons.  He  represented  the  town  in  the  legisla- 
ture in  1838,  '39.     Died  18  May,  1855. 

Hh-nm,  b.  1  Dec,  1807:  d.  IS  May,  181.5. 

Luther,  b.  19  Aug.,  1800;  d.  27  Nov.,  1813. 

Calvin,  b.  17  Nov.,  1811. 

John  Chandler,  \).    11    April,   1811. 

Hiram,  b.  2.5  July,  1816. 

Lnlher,  b.  5  June,  1820. 

Manj  Magoon,  h.  11  Aug.,  1822;  m.  Nehemiah  Butler,  15  jSTov., 
1849. 

Infant,  b.  and  d.  July,  1824. 

B.  FranUin.  b.  7  Nov.,  1827. 

Richard,  h.  13   Sept.,   1831. 

Calvin^  (Richard,"  Thaddeus^)  m.,  1st,  Eebecca,  dau.  of  Isaac 
Pearson,  21  Sept.,  1835.  She  was  b.  12  Nov.,  1815 ; 
d.  22  July,  1835.  Two  children.  Married,  2d,  Eliza- 
beth E.,  dau.  of  Isaac  Ej-an,  of  Plymouth,  29  April, 
1846.  She  was  b.  4  July,  1818.  Ten  children.  He 
has  lield  nearly  all  of  the  offices  of  trust  in  town ; 
member  of  the  legislature  in  1849,  '50.  In  company 
with  his  brother,  John  C,  he  carried  on  an  extensive 
business  in  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  lumber,  near 
the  waterfalls  of  the  Contoocook,  a  business  estab- 
lished by  their  father  and  uncle. 

Hannah  Pearson,  b.  13  June,  1836  ;  d.  6  July,  1852. 

Martha  A.,  b.  10  May,  1840;  d.  19  July,  1846. 

George  W.,  b.  30  Jan.,  1847;  d.  8  April,  18,54. 

Rebecca  P.,  b.  2  May,  1848;  m.  George  D.  B.  Prescott,  of  Con- 
cord, 12  Oct.,  1871.  Que  cliild,  Dana  G.,  b.  27  Oct.,  1S74. 

Annie  D.,h.  18  Feb.,  1850. 

Harley  C,  b.  24  Oct.,  1851. 

Hannah  P.,  b.  5  Sept..  1863. 

Mary  H.,h.  8  May,  18.56. 

NeAtie  A.,h.2\  April.  18.58. 

John  F.,  b.  3  Mav,  I860. 

Georqe  M.,  b.  23  Dec,  18G3. 

Sjncer  R.,  b.  21  Oct.,  1866. 


GENEALOGICAL — GAGE.  535 

John  Chan^dler^  (Richard,^  Thaddeus^)  m.,  1st,  Elizabeth  S., 
dau.  of  Samuel  Sargent,  of  Canterbury,  29  Nov.,  1843. 
She  was  b.  21  March,  1821,  d.  26  Feb.,  1853.  Three 
children.  Married,  2d,  Hannah  C,  dau.  of  Andrew 
Stevens,  of  Loudon,  27  Dec,  1853.  Four  children. 
He  has  frequently  been  called  to  fill  places  of  trust  in 
town,  and  represented  it  in  the  legislatures  of  1853 
and  '54. 

Martlia  A.,  b.  IS  July,  1816  ;  m.  Geo.  Gleason. 

Dan  W.,  h.  20  Sept.,  18o0  ;  d.  24  May,  1857. 

Fred  V.,  b.  14  Feb.,  1853  ;  d.  11  Oct.,  1860. 

Lizzie  M.,  b.  29  Nov.,  1855. 

Mabel  C,  b.  28  July,  18-58. 

Arthur  A.,  h.  27  July,  1862. 

Kate  L.,  b.  10  Sept.,  1865;  d.  16  July,  1868. 

HiRAM^  (Richard,^  Thaddeus^)  m.  Miriam,  dau.  of  Moses  Fellows, 
26  Jan.,  1843.  His  wife  was  b.  16  March,  1819,  d. 
11  Oct ,  1875.     They  reside  in  Clinton,  Iowa. 

Susa7i  J/.,b.  14  April,  1844;  m.  1st,  John  Wayne,  of  Kansas,  1869; 
2d,  M.  E.  S.  Storer.  of  Kansas,  Oct.,  1873. 

William  H.  H.,  b.  27  June,  1845;  served  in  armv. 

Charles  F.,  b.  3  Nov.,  1846  ;  d.  20  Oct.,  1818. 

Caroline  A.,  h.  7  Sept.,  1848;  m.  G.  R.  Cole,  of  Kansa.s. 

Lucia  E.,  b.  21  Sept.,  1850;  d.  11  Nov.,  1860. 

Charles  F.,  h.  21  Marcli,  1855;  d.  21  Oct.,  1860. 

Jesse  £.,  b.  6  Feb.,  18.57. 

Hiram,  h.  3  June,  1860;  d.  19  Oct.,  1865. 

Luther^  (Richard,"^  Thaddeus^)  m.,  1st,  Sarah  J.,  dau.  of  Philip 
Cross,  of  Northfield.  She  was  b.  1  May,  1824,  d.  18 
Sept.,  1857.  Four  children.  Married,  2d,  Priscilla, 
dau.  of  Ephraim  Plummer,  2  March,  1859.  One 
child.  He  was  at  one  time  engaged  in  trade  at 
the  south  part  of  the  town,  where  he  now  resides.  He 
has  held  the  office  of  selectman  and  town  treasurer, 
and  was  member  of  the  legislature  in  1861,  '62. 

Edwin  il/.,  b.  18  Oct.,  1847  ;  d.  12  Nov.,  1848. 

Sarah  P.,  b.  11  Oct.,  1819. 

Nathan  S.  M.,  b.  2  Oct.,  1852. 

Luther  C,  b.  4  Aug.,  1856. 

Maurice  P.,  b.  2  May,  1863  ;  d.  27  Sept.,  1863. 

B.  Fraxklin^  (Richard'^)  m.  Amanda,  dau.  of  Bickford  Lang,  of 
Pembroke,  8  Oct.,  1854.     She  d.  8  Oct.,  1867. 
Lizzie  Eudora,  b.  20  July,  1855. 
Madella  J.,  b.  20  April,  1859. 

Richard^  (Richard"^),  m.  Nancy,  dau.  of  Daniel  Mansfield  ;  d. 
6  Oct.,  1876.  His  wife,  b.  13  May,  1831 ;  d.  17  July, 
1866. 


536  GENEALOGICAL GAGE. 

Edward  Everelf,  b.  28  June,  1852. 

Julia  IF.,  b.  16  July,  1854;  m.  Oscar  F.  Smith. 

George  //.,  b.  7  Nov.,  1856. 

Thaddem  0.,  h.  1  Aus.,  1858. 

AddkonF.,  b.  May,  1800. 

Herbert  C,  b.  25  Aug.,  1862. 
William  Haseltiis-e''^  (Thaddeus^),  h.  in  Sanbornton,  21  March, 
1791;  moved    to    B.,   1804;  m.,    1st,    Polly,    dau.    of 
Bradbury  Morrison,  of  Sanbornton  ;  2d,  Sarah,  dan.  of 
Samuel  Sargent,  of  Canterbury.     [See  Biog.] 
Cliildren  of  Polly  : 

Sophronia  S.,  h.  21  Jan.,  1815;  m.  John  O.  Russ,  Nov.,  1835;  d.  23 
May,  1811. 

Elcander  Wood,  b.  11  July,  1816;  drowned  in  canal  near  Coutoo- 
cook  river,  25  May,  1817.  The  body  was  recovered  nine 
days  later  in  the  jNIerriniack,  seven  miles  distant. 

Isaac  Kimball,  b.  27  Oct.,  1818;  m.  Susan  G.,  dau.  of  Reuben 
Johnson.     [See  Biog.] 

Asa  Morrison,  b.  8  Aug.,  1820;  m.  Sophia  W.,  dau.  of  John  Cald- 
well, of  B. 

Phehe  Prescntt,  b.  23  Sept.,  1822;  m.  Andrew  J.  Russ,  d.  9  Aug., 
1853.     Three  children. 

Rosilla  Morrison,  b.  8  Aug.,  1821;  d.  28  Oct.,  1827. 

Child  of  Sarah : 
Polly  Rosilla,  b.  1  Aug.,  1838;  m.  Samuel  R.  Mann.    One  child,— 
William  H.  Gage. 

Isaac  K.^  (William  H  ,^  Thaddeus^)  m.  Susan  G.  Johnson.    [See 

Biog.] 
Frederick  Johnson,  b.  42  Sept.,  1843;  m.  Ilattie  A.  Morse. 
Georgianna  Judith,  b.   16  Sept.,  1848;  m.  Abial  W.  Rolfe.     Two 

children,— i/«n-^  Gage,  b.  5  July,  1872;  Herbert  Wilson,  b. 

14  May,  1875. 
Marij  Morrison,  b.  28  Dec,  1849  ;  m.  Milton  W.  Wilson  ;  one  chdd, 

— Florence  Lee,  b.  9  Jan.,  1877. 
Charlotte  Hubbel,h.  13  March,  1852  ;  d.  26  June,  1866. 
Lucy  Kimball,  h.  11  June,  1858. 
Isaac  William,  b.  1  Sept.,  1861. 
Asa  M.3  (William  B.,^  Thaddeus^)  m.  Sophia  W.  Caldwell. 

Frank  Henry,  b.  20  April,  1804;  m.  Lucy  Ann  Smith,  of  Warsaw, 

Ky.  ;  lives  in  Troy,  N.  Y.;  two  children, — Edwin  Asa,  h. 

8  Feb.,  1872;  Fanny  Atkinson,  b.  27  Feb.,  1874. 
Helen  Sophia,  b.  13  Oct.,  1817;  m.  Horace  H.  Danforth;  one  child, 

—Maud  Evelyn,  b.  21  Oct.,  1870. 
Edwin  Asa,  b.  5  Aug.,  1848;  d.  21  Sept.,  1871. 
Ida  May,  b.  8   Nov.,  1851. 

Frederick   Johnson*  (Isaac  K,^)  m.  Ilattie  A.  Morse ;  resides 
in  Boston. 
Blanche,  b.  24  Nov.,  1869. 
Lottie  H,  b.  22  Feb.,  1873. 
Fred  Healey,  b.  20  Oct.,  1874. 


GENEALOGICAL GERRISH,  537 

GEEEISH. 

Compiled  by  Alfred  Little. 

William/  Capt.,  was  b.  in  Bristol,  Somersetshire,  England,  20 
Aug.,  1617,  where  he  is  said  to  have  been  educated  in 
the  mercantile  house  of  Percival  Lowle  &  Co. ;  came 
to  New  England  as  early  as  1639,  and  settled  that 
year  in  Newbury,  Mass.  [see  Coffin's  History  of  New- 
bury] ;  was  the  first  captain  of  the  military  band  in 
that  town,  and  representative  1650-'54  ;  in.,  1st,  Jo- 
anna, widow  of  John  Oliver,  of  Newbur}-,  IT  April, 
1645,  who  d.  14  June,  1677,  aged  58  ;  removed  to 
Boston,  1678,  and  there  m.,  2d,  Ann,  widow  of  John 
Manning ;  was  the  owner  of  No.  3,  Long  wharf,  where 
he  carried  on  business.  At  the  semi-centennial  anni- 
versary meeting  of  the  town  of  Boston,  14  March, 
1686,  Capt.  Gerrish  opened  and  closed  the  exercises 
with  prayer.  He  d.  at  his  son  Benjamin's  house,  Sa- 
lem, Mass.,  9  Aug.,  1687. 

Children  of  Joanna  : 

John,  b.  15  May,  lOiO;  d.  1714;  settled  at  Dover;  m.  there  Eliz- 
abeth, dau.  of  Maj.  R.  Waldron  ;  was  a  captain,  sheriff, 
representative,  counsebor,  and  judge  of  the  supreme  court 
of  N.  H. 

W'dliam,  b.  6  June,  KUS  ;  was  a  physician  at  Charlestown,  Mass.; 
d.  there  10  M;iy,  168:3. 

Joseph,  b.  23  March,  1640;  d.  6  Jan.,  1720;  ra.  Ann,  dau.  of  Maj. 
R.  Waldron,  Dover;  grad.  at  Harvard  college,  1669;  was 
minister  at  VVenham,  Mass. 

Benjamin,  b.  31  Jan.,  16.51  ;  was  collector  of  his  majesty's  customs 
at  Salem:  d.  2  April,  1713. 

EUzaheth,h.  20  Sept.,  16.34;  d.  1.9  Nov.,  1678;  m.^Capt.  Stephen 
Greenleaf,  of  Newbury,  Mass.,  23  Oct.,  1676. 

Moses,  b.  9  May,  1656;  d.  4  Dec.  1694. 

Manj,  b.  1  April,  1658  ;  m.  Dr.  John  Dole,  of  Newbury,  Mass.,  23 
Oct.,  1676. 

Child  of  Ann  : 
Henr;/,  b.  in  Boston,  21  ]March,  1679  ;  d.  without  issue. 

MosES,^  Col.  (William,^  Capt.),  lived  in  Newbury,  Mass. ;  m.  24 
Sept.,  1677,  Jane,  dau.  of  Rev.  Plenry  Sewall,  and  sis- 
ter of  Chief  Justice  Sewall,  of  Mass.  She  was  b.  afc 
Badesly,  England,  25  Oct.,  1659,  and  d.  29  Jan.,  1717. 

Joanna,  b.  3  0ct. ,  1678. 

Joseph,  b.  20  March,  1682  ;  d.  Jan.,  1765,  aged  82  years,  9  months, 

and  20  days. 
Sarah,  b.  25  Dec,  'l683. 


638  GENEALOGICAL GERRISH. 

Elizabeth,  h.  27  Dec,  1685. 

Mary,  b.  28  Oct.,  1687. 

John,  b.  2  April,  1695;  m.  Judith  Coker. 

Joseph,^  Col  (Moses,^  Col.,  William,^  Capt.),  lived  in  Newbury, 
Mass. ;  was  member  of  the  colonial  legislature  20 
years,  and  often  elected  by  that  body  to  his  majesty's 
council,  and  as  often  rejected  by  the  English  governor 
"because  he  was  not  supjile;"  was  elected  to  a  seat  in 
a  provincial  congress.  Says  Rev.  Jacob  Little, — 
"  Col.  Joseph  Gerrish  had  such  muscular  power,  that 
he  swam  the  Merrimack  river,  near  its  mouth, 
every  year  till  he  was  past  70.  The  weight  of  four 
of  his  children  was  1,200  pounds."  He  m.  Marj^,  dau. 
of  Moses  and  Lydia  (Coffin)  Little,  of  ISTewbury ;  pub- 
lished 26  Feb.,  1703,  '4.     She  was  b.  13  Jan.,  1086. 

3Ioses,  b.  15  April,  1706;  m.  Mary  Moody,  IS  April,  1728;  lived 
iu  Newbury  (Byfield),  Mass. 

Joseph,  b.  10  Sept.,  17US;  d.  26  May,  1776;  was  a  colonel;  m. 
Catherine  Brown,  of  Reading,  Mass.  ;  settled  iu  Newbury 
(Bvfield.) 

Stephen,  b.  22  Jan.,  1711  ;  d.  1788,  in  B. 

Mary,  b.  10  Sept.,  1714;  m.  Griggs,  of  Roxbury,  Mass. 

Jane,  b.  12  Oct.,  1717  ;  m.  Rev.  Phineas  Stevens,  first  minister  at 
B.,  24  Nov.,  1741. 

Elizabeth,  b.  5  March,  1720  ;  m.  Stephen  March,  of  Portsmouth,  14 
June,  1753. 

Sarah,  b.  18  July,  1722;  was  adopted  by  Judge  Samuel  Sewall ;  m. 
Moses  Newell. 

Judith,  b.  7  Jan.,  1724;  m.  Col.  Thurston,  of  Bradford,  Mass. 

Samuel,  b.  8  April,  1728  [?]  ;  m.  Sarah  Johnson;  lived  at  West 
Newbury. 

Rebecca,  h.  29  Oct.,  1732  [?];  m.  Joshua  March,  1  Jan.,  1752; 
lived  in  West  Newbury. 

Three  others  d.  young. 

Stephen,*  Capt.  (Joseph,^  Col.,  Moses,^  Col.),  b.  22  Jan.,  1711,  in 
Newbury,  Mass. ;  d.  1788,  in  B.  [see  Biog.] ;  was  a 
resident  of  Canterbury  at  date  of  his  first  marriage, 
in  1738,  and  of  "  Contoocook"  (B.)  when  m.,  2d,  in 
1741.  [See  Newbury  Records.]  Married,  1st,  Mar- 
tha Chase,  of  Newbury,  Mass.,  21  July,  1738 ;  2d,  Jo- 
anna Hale,  15  July,  1741,  who  was  b.  June,  1715,  and 
d.  about  1792  [see  Biog.].  She  was  dau.  of  Samuel 
Hale,  of  Newbury,  and  sister  of  Richard  Hale,  the 
father  of  Capt.  Nathan  Hale,  the  martyr  spy,  in  the 
Avar  of  American  independence. 

Note.  The  names  and  birth-dates  of  the  children  of  Cupt.  "\ViUiam,i  Col.  Moses,^ 
and  of  the  first  eight  children  of  Col.  .Josepli"  Gerrish,  have  been  coiiied  for  the 
compiler  from  the  early  records  of  Newbury,  Mass.,  by  William  Little,  Escx.,  town- 
clerk. 


GENEALOGICAL — GERRISH.  539 

Henry,  b.  3  May,  1742  ;  d.  IP  May,  1806. 

Jane,  b.  20  April,    1745;  d.  30  March,    181i ;  m.  Lieut.   Samuel 

Ami'S,  of  B.,  who  d.  1  Sept.,  1825. 
Samue  ,  b.  20  xipril,  1718;  d.  10  Nov.,  1825. 
Enoch,  b.  16  Jan.,  1750;  d.  1  May,  1821. 
Joseph,  b.  17  Sept.;  17-53;  d.  21  Nov.,  1817. 
Stephen^  b.  1750;  d.  24  Aug.,  1777. 

Hexky,^*  Col.  (Stephen,*  Capt.,  Josepli,^  Col.),  m.  Martha,  dau.  of 
Jeremiah  Clough,  of  Canterbury,  10  Nov.,  1763.  She 
was  b.  10  Nov.,  1742  ;  d.  15  Oct.,  1826.     [See  Biog.] 

Jeremiah,  b.  8  Aug.,  1764;  d.  23  April,  1830;  in.,  1st,  Sarah,  dau. 
of  Joseph  Gerrish,  of  West  B.,  6  March,  1788;  m.,  2d, 
Mary,  dau.  of  Nehemiah  Cogswell,  of  B.,  20  Nov.,  1817  [?], 
who  Avas  b.  29  Feb.,  1784.  He  was  a  gunsmith  and  re- 
pairer of  clocks  and  watches,  and  made  cut-nails  (prior  to 
1804,  it  is  said)  while  living  in  the  house  now  owned  by 
Charles  D.  Glitten,  at  Webster,  cutting  them  out  of  hoop- 
iron  with  large  shears  driven  by  horse-power;  built  the  first 
saw-mill  at  the  outlet  of  Long  pond,  in  Webster;  willed 
his  homestead  to  the  Congregational  society  at  B.  for  the 
support  of  a  minister. 

Sarah,  b.  3  April  1766  ;  d.  21  Aiig.  1839;  m.  Capt.  Joseph  Wood, 
of  Lebanon,  15  Jan.,  1784.  He  was  b.  in  Mansfield,  Ct., 
8  Nov.,  1759,  and  d.  17  Dec,  1859 — a  centenarian,  aged 
100  years  and  39  days;  was  one  of  the  last  surviving  sol- 
diers of  the  Revolution. 

Moses,  b.  17  Feb.,  1768;  d.  24  Nov.,  1854. 

Stephen,  b.  16  April,  1770;  d.  11  Nov..  1815. 

Henry,  b.  29  May,  1772;  d.  11  Sept.,  1862. 

Hannah,  b.  14  Aug.,  1774;  d.  2.5  June,  1855;  m.,  1st,  Jeremiah 
Carter,  of  B.,  27  May,  1795 ;  2d,  Jacob  March,  of  Sauborn- 
ton,  4  April,  1802. 

Martha,  h.  14  May,  1777;  d.  28  Aug.,  1855,  at  New  Buffalo, Mich.; 
m.  Jesse  Little,  of  B. 

Jacob,  b.  10  Nov.,  1779;  d.  22  May,  1861. 

Susannah,  b.  28  Feb.,  1782;  d.  2  Jan.,  1867,  at  Nashua;  m.  Joel 
French,  of  B.,  29  March,  1804. 

Joseph,  b.  25   March,  1784;  d.  25  May,  1851. 

Thomas,  b.  12  Sept.,  1786;  d.  19  Feb.,  1875. 

Note.  The  "Gerrisli  meeting  "  originated  in  tlie  family  of  Col.  Henry  Gerrish,  but 
included  others  of  the  name.  His  eleven  children  (with  their  families),  living  at  differ- 
ent points  between  Nashua  and  Lebanon,  were  accustomed  for  many  years  to  meet  an- 
nually at  their  various  homes  for  a  family  reunion,  the  last  one  occurring  in  1849. 

*A  part  of  the  inscription  on  his  gravestone  at  B.  is  incorrect,  viz.,  "Joseph  Ger- 
rish, captain  of  the  life-guard  of  G.  R.,  1st.''  It  shoitld  read  thus:  "William  Gerrish, 
first  captain  of  the  Military  Band  at  Newbury,  Mass ." 


540  GENEALOGICAL GERRISH, 

Samuel^  (Stephen/  Capt.,  Joseph,^  Col.)  settled  first  on  High 
street,  B. ;  removed  in  1776  to  Canterhury,  his  farm 
l3'ing  on  the  IMerrimack  river;  m.  Lucy  Noyes,  of  He- 
bron, Jan.,  1773,  Avho  d.  1818,  aged  6G. 

Enoch,  b.  1775;  m..  1st,  Judith,  dau.  of  Nathan  Chandler,  of  Con- 
cord, who  d.  at  St.  Arniand,  L.  C,  18-2o;  '2(\,  Martha  Fos- 
ter, of  Canterbury,  who  d.  at  Montre.il,  18;;3.  lie  was  a 
merchant  in  B.;  removed  soon  after  1820  to  St.  Arniand, 
where  he  d.  LS56. 

JosepJi,  h.  19  IMarch,  1777;  d.  31  July,  1839. 

Stephen,  h.  1789;  d.  1811. 

Enoch,^  Dea.  (Stephen,*  Capt.,  Joseph,^  Col),  m.,  1st,  ISIary  E., 
dan.  of  Dea.  Isaac  Pearson,  of  B.,  Feb  ,  1772  ;  she 
was  b.  3  Oct ,  1753 ;  d.  May,  1784;— m.,  2d,  Hannah 
Kilburn,  of  B.,  8  Dec,  1784.  who  d.  14  Jan.,  1792 ; 
3d,  Mary,  dau.  of  Joseph  Gerrish,  of  B.,  2  July,  1792, 
who  d.  3  May,  1829. 
Children  of  Mary  E. : 

Samuel,  b.  7  July,  1773;  was  a  physician  at  Sanbornton  ;  d.  there 
31  Oct.,  1809. 

Enoch,  b.  30  April,  1775;  d.  24  Aug.,  1831. 

Stephen,  h.  5  March,  1778;  d.  1781. 

Sal/u,  b.  1  March.  1780;  d.  10  March,  1811;  m.  Rev.  Lemuel  Bliss, 
of  Bradford,  17  Jan.,  1806. 

Isaac,},     o- AT         17QO    S<i.  22  Aug.,  1812. 

Anna,  C  ''•  ~'  ^"^•'  ^'^^'  }  d.  22  Sept.,  1815;  m.  Joseph  B.  Smith, 
of  Eaton,  L.  C,  21  Jan.,  1812. 

Children  of  Hannah : 
Ilanj,  b.  Oct.,  1785;  d.  26  March,  1871  ;  m.  Capt.  Ephraim  "Wood, 

of  Lebanon,  29  Feb.,  1816,  who  was  b.  21  Aug.,  1787,  and 

d.  23  April,  1874. 
Hannah,  b.  4  Jan.,  1792;  d.  Jan.,  1821;  m.  Dea.  Isaac  Pearson,  of 

B.,  1  June,  1814. 

Joseph,^  Col.  (Stephen,*  Capt.,  Joseph,^  Col.),  was  a  prominent 
man,  and  held  various  offices  in  town  for  many  years  ; 
was  also  delegate  to  convention  for  adoption  of  the 
Federal  constitution ;  m.  Mary  Bartlett,  of  Newbury, 
Mass.,  Oct.,  1779,  who  was  b.  May,  17()2,  and  d.  18 
Jan.,  1827. 

Judith,  h.  12  July,  1780;  d.  19  Dec,  1859  ;  m.  Dea.  John  Clough, 
of  Canterbury,  31  March,  1802. 

Samuel  Bartlett,  b.  12  Dec,  1782  ;  d.  7  Dec,  1866,  at  Lebanon. 

Mary,  b.  17  Oct.,  1784;  d.  Oct.,  1825  ;  m.  Rev.  Wm.  Patrick,  of 
Canterbury,  15. Aug.,  1805. 

Sally,  b.  19  Aug.,  1786;  d.''l7  Jan.,  1851;  m.  Rev.  Enoch  Corser, 
of  B.,  29  May,  1817. 

Betsey,  h.  31  Dec,  1787;  d.  11  Oct.,  1821;  m.  Dea.  Thomas  Ger- 
rish, of  B.,  19  Sept.,  1805. 


GENEALOGICAL — GERRISH.  541 

MosES^  (Henry,5  Col.,  Stephen,*  Capt.)  settled  in  tlie  south-western 
j)ai't  of  B.,  at  "'Bashan,''*  named  thus  by  Dea.  Enoch 
Little,  Sen.,  from  the  many  oaks  which  grew  there. 
His  house  has  ever  been  the  abode  of  liospitality.  He 
m.  Sarah  Ilsley,  dau.  of  Enoch  Little. 

5«%,  b.  26  Oct.,  1790;  d.  1  Sept.,  18(31;  ra.  Col.  John   Farmer,  of 

B.,11  Feb.,  1810. 
Jeremiah,  b.  1  Jan.,  1791;  d.  30  Oct.,  1813. 

Stephen,"  Lieut.  (Hemy,^  Col.,  Stephen,*  Capt.),  lived  on  High 
street ;  Avas  a  man  of  great  inventive  talent.  The  at- 
tachment of  the  screw  to  the  pod-auger,  and  also  the 
first  practical  auger  for  boring  logs  and  wooden 
pumps,  are  said  to  have  been  his  inventions.  With 
his  father,  he  made  mill-saws  and  cranks  on  a  common 
forge.  He  was  one  of  the  first  in  this  state  to  make 
cut-nails,  his  nail-mill  on  High  street  being  on  the 
south  fork  of  Stirrup-iron  brook ;  he  also  built  the 
Gulf  bridge,  but  d.  before  its  completion.  He  m. 
Hannah,  dau.  of  Lieut.  Samuel  Ames,  of  B.  She  d. 
18  Xov.,  1834. 

Salhi.h.  -20  July,  1796;  d.    11  Jan.,  1819;  m.  Edmund  Dearborn, 

of  Northfield,  19  June,  1821. 
Jane,  b. -20  July,  1798;  d.  at  Elldiorn,  Brown  Co.,  III.,  22  April, 

18-14;  m.  Jonathan  Dearborn,  m.  d.,  Northfield,  14  Oct., 

1823;  removed  to  Elkhorn,  111.,  March,  1837,  where  he 

d.  15  March,  1875. 
Martha,  b.  14  Sept.,  18()0;  d.  at  Elkhorn,   111.,  10  Feb.,  1868;  m. 

Stephen  Kendrick,  Lebanon,  21  Sept.,  1826. 
Sam,  b.  2  Nov.,  1803;  d.  4  Nov.,  1845,  at  Elkhorn,  111. 
Hannah,  b.  20  April,  1806;  m.  Baxter  Clough.  of  Canterbury,  19 

July,   1832;  removed  to  Solon,   O..  1831,    and  thence  to 

North  Amherst,  1853,  where  he  d.  30  Nov.,  1872. 
SewalU  b.  18  March,  1809. 
Harriet,  b.  21  March,  1812;  d.  at  Elkhorn,  111.,  2  Sept.,  1874;  m. 

Absalom  Gerrish,  Northfield,  5  June,  1839. 
Henry,  b.  31  July,  and  d.  2  Aug,  1814. 

Henkt«  (Henry,^  Col.,  Stephen,*  Capt.)  first  settled  on  High  st., 
and  afterwards  on  the  homestead  at  Fish  st.,  B.  ;  m. 
Mary,  dau.  of  Hon.  Abiel  Foster,  Canterburv,  6  June, 
1796.  She  was  b.  1  Oct.,  1774;  d.  23  Sept.,  1869, 
aged  about  95. 

Susanna,  b.   15  June,  1797;  m.  Dr.  Thomas  Peach,  of  B.,  2  Feb., 

1815;  residence  in  AVest  Creek,  Ind. 
Infant  dau.,  b.  9  and  d.  21  Dec,  1799. 

Jacob,  b.  29  Dec,  1801;  d.  28  Oct.,  1858;  m.  Maria  Ames,  Can- 
•  terbury,  25  Sept.,  1824;  removed   to  New  Buffalo,  Mich. 

Sept.,  1835.  ' 

Lucy,  b.  30  Sept.,  1803  ;    m.  Ephraim  Plumer,  of  B.,   11    Jau 

1821.  ■' 


542  GENEALOGICAL GERRISH. 

Abid,  h.  7  March,  1806. 

Mary,  b.  9  Feb.,  1808  ;  d.  14  March,  1836  ;  m.  Jamea  Little,  of 
B.,  15  Dec,  18i'9;  removed  to  New  IJuffalo,  Mich.,  1835. 

EUzahelh,  b.  21  July,  1813;  d.  7  Nov.,  1812;  m.  Joseph  G.  Ames, 
Berrien  Co.,  Mich.,  4  Sept.,  1839. 
Jacob^  (Heiiry,^  Col.,  Stephen,*  Capt.)   m.  Sarah,  dau.    of  David 
Ames,  Canterbury,  15  A})ril,  1803 ;  lived  on  Fish  st., 
B.     [See  Biog.] 

AppJiia,  b.  27  April,  1804;  m.  Rev.  Phannel  W.  Wavrener,  Canau- 
dai^ua.  N.  Y.,  28  Sept.,  1829. 

MarlJia,  b.  26  Nov.,  1805;  d.  17  April,  18G7;  m.,  1st.  Samuel  Cham- 
berlain, Loudon,  24  Oct.,  1824,  who  d.  3  Nov.,  18;;8  ;  2d, 
Ruel  Walker,  Loudon,  20  Nov.,  1840,  who  d.  6  July,  1872, 
aged  80. 

Joseph,  b.  22  June,  1807;  d.  17  D^^c,  1850,  at  Fislierville;  m.  Me- 
hitable  Plumer,  of  15.,  11  Nov.,  1830. 

Calvin,  b.  31  May,  1809. 

Luther,  h.  30  Aug.,  1812;  d.  1  Mav,  1821. 

David  A.,  b.  6  Feb.,  1816. 

Stephen,  b.  17  Dec,  1817;  d  17  April.  1818. 

.S'ara/t,b.  1  Feb.,  1819;  m.  George  AV.  Choate,  Enfield,  13  Jan., 
1841. 

EtnUi/,  h.  6  April,  1821;  m.  Dea.  Enocli  Coffin,  of  B.,  20  Oct., 1842; 
resides  in  Beloit,  Wis. 
Joseph^  (Henry,^  Col.,  Stephen,*  Capt.)  settled  in  Northfield  about 
1804,  his  land  (now  a  part  of  FranHin)  lying  on  Mer- 
rimack river,  and  opposite  Daniel  Webster's  residence  ; 
^Yas  an  extensive  farmer  and  dealer  in  real  estate  ;  m. 
Susan  Hancock,  of  North  Held,  who  Avas  b.  13  Jnly, 
1791 ;  d.  26  Nov.,  1849. 

Ahsniom,  b.  22  June,  1809. 

Milton,  b.  29  Nov.,  1811. 

Cynthia  A.,  h.  8  Feb.,  1813;  m.  Jacob  K.  Moore,  of  Canterbury, 
Aug.,  1835;  removed  to  Griggsville,  111.,  1819. 

Abnira  S.,h.  13  March,  1815;  d.  23  Feb.,  1854;  m.  Charles  H. 
Avers,  Canterbury,  4  Oct.,  1838. 

Louisa,  ^.28  Jan.,  1817;  d.  29  Dec,  1848;  m.  Dea.  Nathan  B. 
Stearns,  Lebanon,  19  March,  1845. 

Lucien,  b.  8  Feb.,  1819  ;  d.  26  July,  18.59. 

Stephen,  b.  29  Nov.,  1821.  Col.  Stephen  Gerrish  remained  on  the 
homestead  for  several  years;  now  resides  in  Franklin  vil- 
lage; m.  Mrs.  Alice  B.  Hammond,  March,  1855. 

Leonard,  b.  11  June,  1823. 

Susan,  h.  25  July,  1825;  d.  3  Sept.,  1869,  at  Lebanon;  m.,  27  Jan., 
1852,  Luther  C.  Bean,  m.  D.,of  Fisherville,  now  practising 
in  Chicago. 

Joseph,  h.  2  May,  1827:  resides  in  Minn. 

Alfred  A.,  h.  9  July,  1829;  physician  at  Lowell,  Ind.  • 

Carlos  E.,  b.  17  April,  1831;  went  by  overland  route  to  Cal.,  1852. 

Ellen  M.,  b.  19  Oct.,  1833;  m.  Charles  IL  Ayers,  Canterbury,  15 
Oct.,  1854. 


GENEALOGICAL GERRISH.  543 

Thomas,^  Dea.  (Heniy,^  Col.,  Stephen,"  Capt.),  lived  on'  Boscawen 
Plain  ;  elected  deacon  of  1st  Congregational  cliurcli 
in  B.  ;  removed  to  Webster,  March,  1867 ;  m.,  1st, 
Betsey,  dau.  of  Col.  Joseph  Gerrish,  of  B.,  19  Sept., 
1805 ;  2d,  Elizaheth  Patrick,  of  Weston,  Mass.,  Oct., 
1822,  who  d.  26  Feb.,  1869.     [See  Biog.] 

Children  of  Betsej^ : 

Mary,  b.  1806;  d.  in  infancy. 

Joanna  Eliza,  b.  22  Aug.,' 1807;  m.,  23  Feb.,  1800,  Adams  Shep- 
herd, of  Canterbury,  a  teacher;  removed  to  Orio,  Wabash 
county,  111 

Henrii,  b.  30  May,  18'  9;  d.  at  Patoka,  Marion  county,  TIL,  19 
Feb.,  1875.     His  father  d.  same  day,  at  Webster,  JST.  H. 

Joseph,  b.  7  Marcli,  1812;  d.  15  April,  1816. 

Mary  B.^  b.  24  March,  1815;  m.,  1st,  Hon.  Jefferson  G.  Thurber, 
of  Monroe,  Mich.,  6  March.  1834,  who  d.  0  May,  18.57  ;  2d, 
Dea.  Samuel  Wood,  West  Lebanon,  5  Sept.,  1871. 

Harlan  P..  b.  6  June,  1818;  d.  in  Clay  City,  111.,  13  April,  1876. 

Thomas,    ]  ,     5S^   t     1S->0-  ^ 

Elizabeth,  \  '  '  "-'P  •'  '  -  '  j  ni.  Jeremiah  V{.  Wilson,  m.  d.,  Hop- 
kinton,  31  March,  1847. 

JosEi>H,«  Cai)t.  (Samnel,^  Stephen,''  Capt.),  lived  on  the  homestead, 
Canterbury  ;  m.,  1st,  Sarah,  dau.  of  ]S"athan  Chandler, 
Concord;  2d,  Sarah,  dau.  of  Dea.  John  Church,  Dun- 
barton,  1813.     She  was  b.  9  June,   1784 ;  d.  2  Feb., 
1855. 
Children  of   Sarah  Chandler  : 
Judith,  b.  22  Feb.,  1802;  d.  24  Sept.,  1820. 
Lucu,  b.  24  Jan.,  18u4  ;  d.  at  Granville,  O.,  5  Oct.,  1834;  m.  Rev. 

Jacob  Little,  of  B.,  1  June,  1820. 
Mary,  b.  U  April,  1807;  m.  Rev.  Henry  Shedd,  Leominster,  Mass., 
28  Sept.,  1829;  went  as  home  nussionaries  to  O.,  where 
she  d.  12  March,  1835. 
Nathan,  b.  28  Oct.,  1811;  d.  1  June,  1825. 

Children  of  Sarah  Church  : 
John,  b.  26  April,  1814. 
Surah,  b.  2  March,  1810  ;  m.  Dr.  James  B.  Abbott,  of  B.,  22  March, 

1813. 
Enoch,  b.  16  Feb.,  1818;  d.  30  March,  1858. 
Susan,  b.  1  Feb.,  1820;  m.  Capt.  True  O.  Furnald,  Canterbury,  3 

Feb.,  1841;  resides  in  Manchester. 
Charles,  b.  1  March,  1822. 

Judith,  b.  21  May,  1824;  m.  Farnum  Coffin,  of  B.,  24  Nov.,  1842. 
Neioell,  b.  23  Feb.,  1826;  went  to  Cab,  1849,  thence  to  Port  Towu- 

send,  W.  T. 

ExocH,''  Adjt.  (Enoch,5  Dea.,  Stephen,"  Capt  ),  m.,  1st,  Elizabeth, 
dau.  of  Hon.  Abiel  Foster,  of  Canterbury,  10  March, 
1800 ;   she   d.   18  July,  1803,  aged  25  ;    2d,   Kuth, 


544  GENEALOGICAL GERRISH, 

■widow  of  Abner  Clough,    Loudon,  March,  1810,  who 
d.  10  Dec,  1833,  aged'oO. 
Children  of  Elizabetli : 
Steplien,  b.  4  Jan.,  1801;  d.  2   Feb.,  1810;  m.  Martha   A.,  dan.  of 
Joseph  B.   and  Anna   (Gerrish)  Sinitli,   of  B.,  2-2   Sept., 
1884.     She  m.,  2d    Gen.   Enoch   Gerrish  Wood,  9  Oct., 
1844. 
Elizahetk,  b.  14  Jan.,  1803;  d.  24  Aug.,  1824. 

Children  of  Ruth : 
3Iarij  A.,h.  14  March,  1811  ;  d.  30  June,  1827. 
Rebecca  P.,  b.  24  Sept.,  1812;  d.  29  June,  1845;  m.  Francis  W. 
Ame.=;,  of  Canterbury,  8  May,  1838,  who  d.  30  Aug.,  1838; 
2d,  W.  W.  Brown,  M.  d.,  Chester,  8  Oct..  1839. 
Caroline  L.,h.  24    Aug.,   1814;  d.    23    Sept.,    1838;   m.    ^\ .  W. 
Brown,  m.  d.,  Chester,  8  May,  1838. 

IsAAC^  (Enoch,^  Dea.,  Stephen,^  Capt.)  m.  Caroline  Lawrence,  of 
Canterbury,  1  June,  1S15,  who  wash.  16  Nov.,  1797, 
and  d.  at  West  Lebanon,  25  Oct ,  1870. 

Twins,  d.  in  infancy. 

Xy/(«,  b.  28  June,  1818;  ni.  Dea.   Samuel  Wood,  of  West  Leba- 
non, 24  Oct.,  1838;  d.  8  June,  1860. 
Enoch,  b.  28  July,  1822. 
Elizabeth,  b.  12  Jan.,  1826  ;  d.  15  April,  1828. 

Samuel  Bartlett,^  Capt.  (Joseph,^  Col.,  Stephen,*  Capt.),  was 
inn-keeper  at  B.  about  16  years ;  removed  to  ILart- 
land,  Vt.,  1829,  from  thence  to  Lebanon  ;  m.  IMary, 
dau.  of  Capt.  Joseph  Wood,  of  Lebanon,  2  Sept.,  1806. 
She  was  b.  16  Aug ,  1789  ;  resides  at  Lebanon. 

Sarah  T7.,  b.  8  Aug.,  1808;  d.  2  Feb.,  1861;  m.  Orlando  Sar- 
gent, Woodstock,  Vt.,  8  July,  1829. 

Joanna  H.,h.  27  Sept.,  1812;  d.  29  Aug.,  1866;  in.,  1st,  John 
Currier,  Lebanon,  28  April,  1840;  2d,  George  H.  Gates, 
Pomfret,  Vt.,  17  March,  1851;  3d,  Humphrey  Wood,  Leb- 
anon, 13  April,  1859. 

Susan,  b.  22  Dec,  1814;  ni.  Humphrey  Wood,  Lebanon,  7  June, 
1868. 

Ilnry  P.,  b.  19  April,  1819  ;  resides  at  Lebanon. 

Joseph  W.,  b.  25  March,  1825. 

Samuel  31.,  h.  5  March,  1827  ;  d.  30  Jan.,  1854;  m.  Clara  T.  Dear- 
born, Lebanon,  28  Nov.,  1850. 

George  L.,  b.  29  July,  1829;  m.,  1st,  Clarissa  M.  Wliittier,  31 
March.  1856;  2d,  Eveline  J.  Marsh,  Faribault,  Minn.;  re- 
sides at  Waverly,  Minn. 

Charles  H.,  h.  at  Hartland,  Vt.,  27  Oct.,  1832. 

Jeremiah,"^  Dea.  (IMosos,*^  Ilenry,^  Col.),  lived  on  the  homestead  at 
"  Bashan ;"  succeeded  George  T.  Pillsbury,  deceased, 
as  deacon  of  the  Congregational  church  at  West  Bos- 
cawen,  and  was  leader  of  the   choir  about  nin«3teen 


GENEALOGICAL GERRISH.  545 

years.  He  purchased,  26  Marcli,  1838,  the  first  sera- 
pliine  made  by  Charles  Austin,  of  Concord.  This  was 
a  reed  instrument  blown  bj'  pedals,  and  is  remarkable 
as  bein^  one  of  the  earliest  in  America.  He  m.  Jane, 
dan.  of  Dea.  Enoch  Little,  of  B.,  8  March,  1821. 

Polly  Z.,  b.  27   June,  1823;  d.  26  Dec,  1813. 

Jeremiah  Edwin,  b.  19  May,  1826;  d.  7  Nov.,  1818. 

Sarah  /.,  b.  11  Jan.,  1830;  d.  21  June,  1872;  in,  Georo;e  Little,  of 
Webster,  19  Nov.,  1867. 

Henry  H..  b.  21  Feb.,  1833;  m.  Sarah  J.,  dan.  of  Col.  Paul  Pear- 
son, of  Webster,  11  Nov.,  1856;  lives  on  the  homestead  ; 
was  chosen  deacon  of  Congregational  church,  at  Web- 
ster, to  succeed  Dea.  Enoch  Little,  resigned. 

JamcAL.^  b.  11  j\Iay,  1838. 

Sam'^  (Stephen,*'  Lieut.,  Henry,^  Col.)  removed  from  B.  to  Solon, 
0.,  Nov.,  1831,  and  to  Elkhorn,  Brown  county,  111, 
jMarch,  1837  ;  m.,  at  Solon,  Betsey  Clough,  of  Canter- 
bury, 17  Jul}',  1835. 

John  C,  b.  22  May,  1836;  d.  20  Jan.,  18.51. 

Stephen,  b.  6  June,  1839;  d.  18  Sept.,  1843. 

Elizabeth,  b.  19  and  d.  24  Nov.,  1841. 

Lucien,  b.  19  July,  1842;  d.  24  Aug.,  1869. 

Jane  E.,  b.  22  March,  1844;  m.  John  B.  Clough,  Sept.,  1866. 

Sam,  b.  25  Feb.,  1846. 

SEWALL''(Stephen,''  Lieut.,  Henry,^  Col.)  removed  from  B.  to 
Elkhorn,  Brown  county,  111.,  Sept.,  1836  ;  m.  there 
Elizabeth  Groves,  8  Jan.,  1846. 

Hannah,  b.  20  July,  1848;  m.  Frank  F.  Winnaker,  26  Nov.,  1871. 
Harriet,  b.  18  Feb.,  1850;  m.  Sam  Gerrish,  8  July,  1867. 
Stephen,  b.  12  Dec,  18.51;  d.  So  Jan.,  1855. 
Martlia  J.,  b.  9  Feb.,  1853;  m.  George  E.  Richardson,  23  April, 

1875. 
Samuel  S..  h.  18  July,  1855. 
Marin  J.,  h.  14  Jan.,  1857. 
Jacob  D..  b.  12  March,  18(51. 
Cynthia  A.,  b.  15  May.  1866. 
Mary  E.,  b.  4  April,  1868. 

Abiel'^  (Henry,®  Henry,^  Col.)  lived  in  Canterhury,  and  after- 
wards on  the  homestead,  since  occupied  as  the  county 
farm ;  removed  to  West  Creek,  Lake  country,  Ind., 
where  he  now  resides ;  m.  Eliza,  dan.  of  Paul  Dodge, 
of  B.,  18  Jan.,  1830. 

Maria,  b.  in  Canterbury,  15  April,  1831;  m.  -Joseph  Barnard,  Jr., 

of  Contoocookville,  26  Oct.,  1849. 
Martha,  b.  in  Canterbury,  5   Nov.,  1832  ;  m.  William  S.  Freed,  of 

Dundas,  Out.,  Canada,  18    Aug.,  1862;  d.  16  Dec,  1875. 
3Iary,  b.  in  Canterburv,  22  Aug.,  1834;  m.  Joseph  A.  Little, West 

Creek,  Ind.,  1  Nov.,  1859. 


546  GENEALOGICAL GERRISH. 

James  Z.,  b.  in  B.,  15  Nov.,  1836. 

Jane  P.,  b.  9  July,  1841;  m.  Thomas  Stroud,  of  Wheeler,  lad.,  31 

Dec,  1863;  resides  at  Saliiia,  III. 
Ann  E.,  b.  10  Feb.,  1847 ;  m.  David  B.  Brush,  Waveland,  Ind.,  22 

Sept.,  1868. 

Calvin"  (Jacob,®  Henry,^  Col.)   resides  in  Concord;  m.  Ann  S. 
Fifield,  of  Franklin,  1  Dec  ,  1836. 
Susan  Augusta,  h.  4  Auf?.,  1838;  m.  Hiram  K.  Dewey,  Waterford, 

Vt.,  1  March,  1866  ;  resides  iii  Barton,  Vt. 
Hiram  F.,  b.  27  Sept.,  1839. 

David  A.''  (Jacob,®  Hemy,^  Col.)  lived  on  the  homestead ;  filled 
various  offices  of  trust ;  removed  to  Letonia,  0.,  A|)ril, 
1869 ;  m.  Elizabeth  Putnam,  Warren,  Mass.,  11  Oct., 
1841. 

Frances  E.,  b.  17  Jan.,  1847  ;  d.  26  July,  1865. 

Adaline  D.,h.  9  Jan.,  1850. 

Absalom'^  (Joseph,®  Henr^^,®  Col.)  settled  at  Elkhorn,  Brown  co., 
111.,  in  1836 ;  m.  Harriet,  dau.  of  Lieut.  Stephen  Ger- 
rish,  of  B.,  5  June,  1839. 
JosepTi  A.,  b.  7  Oct.,  1844;  d.  6  Oct.,  1876,  was  greatly  interested 
in  the  study  of  natural  history,  commencing  when  a  boy 
to  collect  geological  and  other  specimens.  His  museum  of 
curiosities  became  famous  throughout  the  comity. 

Milton,''  Capt.  (Josepli,®  Henry,^  Col.),  lives  on  the  paternal  estate, 
Franklin  ;  m.  Hannah  Dimick,  West  Hartford,  Yt.,  28 
Oct.,  1839. 

Clara  i.,  b.  28  June,  1842;  m.  Henry  W.  Boutwell,  of  Lynde- 
borough,  3  May,  1872;  resides  at  West  Medford,  Mass. 

Frank  J/.,  b.  20  June,  1848  ;  resides  in  Manchester. 

Charles  F.,  b.  10  Oct.,  1850. 

LuciEN'  (Joseph,®  Henry,^  Col.)  lived  at  Sanbornton  Bridge  (now 
Tilton)  ;  m.  Mary  J.  Dimick,  West  Hartford,  Vt.,  2 
Oct.,  1846. 
Sarah  F.,  b.  G  Sept.,  1847;  m.  Samuel  W.,  son  of  Rev.  Joseph  T. 
Lewis,  21  Aug.,  1866;  resides  in  Cincinnati,  O. 

Leonard'^  (Joseph,®  Henry,^  Col.)  resides  on  the  paternal  estate, 
Franklin  ;  m  Emily  A.  Cerrish,  Fisherville,  15  March, 
1849. 
Joseplilne  M.,  b.  17  Oct.,  1851. 
Helen  X.,  b.  6  Aug.,  1858. 

Henky'^  (Thomas,®  Dea.,  Henry,^  Col.)  lived  in  Sandoval  and  Pa- 
toka,  111. ;  m.  Eunice  Couch,  of  Friendship,  N.  Y.,  21 
Oct.,  1841. 
Harlan  T.,  b.  11  Sept.,  1842. 
Jacob  E.  R.,  b.  9  Dec,  1843;  d.  15  Dec,  1861. 


GENEALOGICAL GERRISH.  547 

Marij  E.,  b.  2-1  Jan.,  1846  ;  m.  Samuel  Britt,  2  Nov.,  1809. 

Lfiui  //.,  b.  11  March,  1848;  in.  Susan  Parker,  14  Sept.,  1873. 

Simeon  S.,  h.  and  d.  1  Jiin.,  1850. 

Sarah  E.,  b.  27  Dec,  1850;  d.  10  Sept.,  1862. 

Albert  il/.,  b.  4  April,  1853. 

Hiram  E.,  b.  28  Aug.,  1855;  d.  3  March,  1866. 

Harlan  P.'^  (Thomas,"  Dea.,  Henry,'^  Col.)  removed  to  111.,  1854  ; 
was  merchant  at  Sandoval ;  retired  to  a  farm  at  Clay 
City,  1871 ;  m.,  1st,  Almira  C.  Gault,  of  Hooksett, 
June,  1846 ;  2d,  Mrs.  Avelin  D.  Wood ;  3d,  Mrs.  Ma- 
tilda E.  Devore,  of  Clay  City,  Aug.,  1871. 

Children  of  Almira  : 

John  C,  b.  2  Mav,  1849;  resides  at   Coffeysburg,  Daviess  county, 

Mo. 
/c'.«e  G.,  h.  10  Sept.,  1851  ;  d.  28  Dec,  1852. 

Children  of  Matilda: 

D;iug1iter,  b.  1872;  d.  1877. 

Son,  h.  June,  1875;  d.  March,  1876. 

Thomas'  (Tliomas,*^  D.ea.,  Henry,^  Col.)  resides  in  Webster;  m., 
1st,  Susan  M.  Colby,  of  Hopkinton,  3  Sept.,  1856 ; 
ra.,  2d,  Caroline  H.  Lewis,  of  Newport,  30  Aug.,  1870. 

Child  of  Susan : 

Franl-  //.,  b.  17  April,  1881. 

Children  of  Caroline  : 

Alhert  E.,  b.  23  Nov.,  1872;  d.  2  Feb.,  1875. 
Man,  E.,h.9  Jan.,  1875. 
Edifh  M.,  h.  17  Oct.,  1876. 

John,''  Eev.  (Joseph,"  Cajit.,  SamueP),  entered  Dart,  college, 
1832,  but  from  ill  health  was  obliged  to  leave  the  same 
year ;  went  to  Canada  in  1836  ;  ehtered  Theo.  Sem. 
at  Bangor,  Me.,  1843,  and  was  there  licensed  to  preach, 
Aug.,  1845 ;  was  ordained  by  Crawfordsville  Presby- 
tery, April,  1847,  at  Rob  Roy,  Ind. ;  preached  in  Ver- 
million county,  Ind.,  seven  years ;  was  installed  pas- 
tor at  New  Washington,  Clark  county,  Ind.,  1853,  and 
remained  nine  years ;  also  over  the  church  at  Homer, 
Mich.,  June,  1866,  where  he  continued  about  twelve 
years ;  was  settled  over  the  Presbyterian  church,  at 
Washington,  Davies  county,  Ind.,  1878  ;  received  the 
honorable  degree  of  A.  m.  from  AYabash  coll.  in  1860 ; 
m.  Ehoda  B.,  dau.  of  Eichard  Little,  of  B.,  14  Jan., 
1837. 

Richard,  b.  13  Nov.,  1837;  d.  17  May,  1839. 

Lucy,  b.  7  Sept.,  1840. 


548  GENEALOGICAL GERRISH. 

Enoch'  (Joseph,''  Capt.,  Samuel^)  went  to  St.  Arinand,  Canada, 
in  1839 ;  lived  there  six  years,  then  at  Thetford,  Vt. ; 
removed  to  Helt  townshij),  Vermillion  county,  Ind., 
Sept.,  1852  ;  Avas  an  elder  of  Presbvterian  church ; 
m.  Abbie  C.  Cogswell,  of  B.,  7  Jan.,  1840. 

Charles,  h.  2  July,  1841,  in  L.  C;  enlisted  in  18th  Regt.  Ind.  Vol. 
Infantry;  was  at  the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge;  served  eleven 
months;  returned  home  and  d.  of  disease  contracted  iu  the 
army. 

Liicien,h.  2(3  Feb.,  1843,  in  L.  C;  served  in  the  71st  Ind.  Reg't 
three  months;  was  in  the  battle  of  Richmond,  Ky.;  re- 
turned home,  and  d.  from  disease  brought  on  by  exposure 
and  cam])  life,  7  Oct.,  1862. 

Johi  O..  b.  1  iMarch,  1848.  in  B. ;  d.  24  Oct.,  18(12. 

Mar)/  E.,  b.  21  July,  1849,  Thetford,  Vt.;  m.  Rev.  Henry  M.  No- 
lan, 17  Sept.,  18G8,  EdL'ar  county.  111. 

Hattie  31.,  h.  20  Feb.,  1851.  Tlietford,  Vt.;  m.  Samuel  S.Mar- 
shall, In  Aug.,  1873;  resides  in  Helt  township,  Vermil- 
lion county, Ind. 

Edward,  b.  14  Jan.,  1853;  m.  Almira  Slddmore,  29  Feb.,  1872; 
resides  in  P^dgar  county.  111. 

James  L.,  b.  24  Jan.,  1856. 

Charles,'^  Hon.  (Joseph,®  Capt.,  SamueP),  removed  from  Canter- 
bury to  Minn.,  1855 ;  resides  at  St.  Charles  ;  is  presi- 
dent of  the  Dover  Bank,  Minn.  ;  wa.s  Eep.  delegate 
to  the  constitutional  convention  of  Minn. ;  m.  Olive 
W.  Dimick,  1 8  March,  1845,  West  Hartford,  Vt. 

Anen,h.  19  Dec,  184.5. 

Adah,  b.  13  Sept.,  1849  ;  m.  Alvano  B.  Dyar,  18  Nov.,  1809,  at  St. 

Charles,  Minn. 
EUa  v.,  b.  8  Sept.,  1858. 

Newell'^  (Joseph,®  Capt.,  SamueP)  went  to  Cal.  in  1849,  from 
thence  to  Port  Townsend,  W.  T.,  where  he  m.,  and 
has  two  children. 

Henry,  Ci/nthia  A. 

ExocH."  Col.  (Isaac,®  Enoch,^  Dea  ),  m.  Miranda  0.,  dau.  of  Joseph 
S.  Lawrence,  of  Lee,  23  Ma}',  1854,  who  was  b.  15 
June,  1829.     [See  Biog.] 

Erardc  L.,  b.  19  May,  1855.     [See  Biog.] 
Lizzie  M.,  b.  14  June,  1800. 

Joseph  W.'  (Samuel  B.,®Capt.,  Joseph,^ Col.)  resides  in  Lebanon; 
m  Eunice  M,  Hewes,  of  Lyme,  6  Feb.,  1855.  [See 
Biog.] 

Charles  IF.,  b.  25  Xov.,  1855. 
ErnUy  /. ,  b.  8  Sept.,  18G1. 


GENEALOGICAL — GERRISH. 


549 


Charles  H.'  (Samuel  B.,''  Capt.,  Joseph,*^  Col.)  resides  in  Leba- 
non ;  m.,  1st,  Anna  Foster,  13  Nov.,  18G6  ;  2d,  Lydia 
A.  Gates,  14  Feb.,  1875,  both  of  Lebanon. 

Children  of  Anna: 

Charles  F.,  h.  U  Aug.,  1870  ;  d.  G  March.  1873. 

Eugene  B.,  h.  4  Oct.,  1872. 

Anna  M.,  b.  25  July,  1874 ;  d.  16  Sept.,  1874. 

James  L.^  (Jeremiah,''  Dea.,  Moses*^)  resides  on  the  homestead  at 
"Webster ;  is  justice  of  the  peace,  and  has  filled  vari- 
ous offices  of  trust ;  was  the  first  in  town  to  enlist  un- 
der Lieut.  David  E.  Burbank,  in  Co.  E  (of  which  he 
was  corporal),  16th  Eeg't  iN .  H.  V.  M.  At  the  capture 
of  Fort  Burton.  Butte  La  Eose,  La.,  20  April,  1863, 
he  was  a  sharpshooter  on  the  gunboat  Clifton,  and 
took  part  in  that  engagement.  He  m.  fSarah  B.  Chand- 
ler, of  Fisherville,  22  Dec,  1864. 

Eilirin  Chandler,  b.  4  July,  1867. 

Ilary  Imogen,  b.  21  Aug.,' 1872;  d.  31  Aug.,  1873. 

LuciEN^  (Siim."  Stephen,^  Lieut.)   m.  Mar,y  J.    Scantland,  Nov., 
1865. 
Nora  Agnefi,  b.  8  July,  1867. 

Sam  ^  (Sara,"  Stephen,^  Lieut.)  m.  Harriet  Gerrish,  of  Elkhorn, 
Brown  county.  111.,  8  Jul}^,  1867. 

Nettie  May.  b.  15  May,  1868. 

Henrij  Z.."b.  26  Sept.,  1870;  d.  15  IMarch,  1872. 

Emma  E.,  h.  22  Feb.,  1873;  d.  13  Aug.,  1875. 

Ham/  E.,  b.  16  Jan.    1875. 

Joseph  II.,  b.  9  May,  1877. 

James   L.^  (Abiel,''  Henry*')    resides   at  West   Creek,  Ind   ;    m. 
Lena  D.  Dyer,  of  Wheaton,  111.,  15  Feb.,  1806. 
Henry,  b.  13  Feb.,  1867. 

ir''^  lb.  24  Sept.,  1872. 
Lame,  \  ^    ' 

Kittle  7^.,  b.  16  May,  1874. 

Hiram  F.«  (Calvin,^  Jacob*')  enlisted  in  Co.  B,  2d  Reg'tN.  H.  V., 
May,  1861 ;  served  in  various  departments  of  the 
army  four  years  and  nine  months,  in  which  time  he 
passed  through  the  different  grades  from  private  to 
the  rank  of  major, — was  also  brevetted  Major.  He 
participated  in  the  following  battles  :  First  Bull  Run, 
Fair  Oaks,  Malvern  Hill,  Fredericksburg,  Chancellors- 
ville.  Fort  Harrison,  Gettysburg,  and  Petersburg. 
After  Lee's  surrender,  Maj.  Gerrish  took  charge  of 
the  railroad  from  Appomattox  to  Farmville,  Va.,  and 


550  GENEALOGICAL — GERRISH. 

run  the  first  engine  over  tlie  road  after  it  came  into  Fed- 
eral possession  ;  was  afterwards  stationed  at  Fred- 
ericksburg as  chief  quarter-master,  district  of  north- 
eastern Virginia ;  is  now  connected  with  the  internal 
revenue  dejjartment,  Dover ;  m.  Edith  A.  Eaton,  of 
Concord,  28  Aug.,  I8G0. 

Herbert,  b.  28  May,  and  d.  10  Aug.,  1SG9. 
Ellen  A.,  b.  23  April,  187G;  d.  27  Dec,  1877. 

Haulax  T.^'  (Henry,'  Thomas,^  Dea.)  m.  Marv  A.  C  Flint,  20 
March,  1S64. 

Larlhi  II.,  b.  11    Feb.,  18(35;  d.  :\rarch.  1800. 
Mary  C.  A.,  b.  11  April,  and  d.  22  Mav,  1807. 
George  i.,  b.  10  June,  1868;  d.  29  March,  1870. 
William  S.,  b.  21  Jan.,  1871. 
Infant  s^on,  b.  ami  d.  8  March,  1873. 
Lida  E.,  b.  30  March,  1874. 

Allen*  (Charles,'  ITon.,  Josepli."  Capt.)   resides  in   St.  Charles, 
Minn.;  m.  Ida  A.  Hill,  Oct.,1866. 
Ina  A.,  h.  28  July,  1867. 
Lilt/  J.,  h.  8  June,  1869. 
Charles  W.,  h.  15  Aug.,  1873;  d.  in  infancy. 

The  family  of  Joseph  Gerrish,  Newbury,  INIass.,  who  settled  on 
the  Blackwater. 

Moses,*  eldest  son  of  Joseph^,  Col.,  and  Mary  (Little)  Gerrish,  of 
Newbury,  INIass.,  b.  15  April,  1706;  m.  Mary  Moody, 
18  April,  1728  ;  lived  in  Newbury  (Bj-field)  ;  was  a 
farmer. 

Sarah,  b.  1729  ;  d.  16  March,  1773;  m.  Dea.  Isaac  Pear.^nn  (his  1st 
wife)  28  Nov.,  1751;  he  was  a  miller  and  settled  in  B. 

Joseph,  b.  in  Newbury;  d.  in  B.  10   Dec.  1802. 

Paul,  a  farmer;  lived  at  Townsend,  Mass. 

Samuel. 

William. 

Belsetj,  d.  young. 

Joseph^  (Moses,"*  Joseph,^  Col.)  removed  from  Newbury,  Mass., 
to  B.,  1779,  and  settled  on  the  Blackwater  river,  near 
the  present  residence  of  Henry  L  Dodge.  Tlie  next 
year  [?]  he  bought  of  Col.  Henry  Gerrish  the  saw- 
and  grist-mill  erected  by  the  latter  about  1774, — the 
first  mill  built  in  West  B.,  and  situated  a  few  rods 
above  the  one  now  owned  by  F.  L.  Burbauk  &  Son ; 
Avas  a  miller  and  farmer  ;  m.  Mehitable  Currier,  of 
Amesburv,  Mass.,  1  Jan.,  1761,  who  d.  at  B.  10 
March,  1*819,  aged  78. 


^iz,.^^^^'    fSy^c-^i^i--i^-^^-^^iy 


GENEALOGICAL GILL.  551 

Mary,  b.  24  Oct.,  1701;  d.  3  May,  18-29:  m.,  1st,  Dea.  Enoch  Ger- 
rish,  of  B.  (his  3d  wife),  2  July,  1792;  2d,  Col.  David 
McCiillis,  of  Canterbury,  17  Oct.,  1822. 

Jane.  h.  i  Dec,  1703;  d.  9  Oct.,  1840. 

Sarah,  b.  27  Aug.,  17G8;  d.  21  Dec,  1810;  m.  Jeremiah  Gerrish, 
of  B.,  6  March.  1788. 

3Ioses,  h.  18  July,  1772;  d.  7  Dec,  1851. 

Moses,®  Col.  (Joseph,''  Moses*),  lived  at  West  B.,  in  the  house 
now  owned  by  Charles  D.  Glitten;  m.,  1st,  Susanna 
Clougli,  of  Canterbury,  who  was  b.  16  March,  1776, 
and  d.  25  June,  ISoO ;  2d,  Mrs.  L^'dia  Lovejoy,  of 
Lebanon,  March,  18o2. 

Children  of  Susanna  : 

Betset/,  b.  18  Nov.,  1790;  d.  1859;  in.  Henry  G.  Wood,  of  Leba- 
non, 8  Jan.,  1810. 

Jeremiah,  b.  18  May,  1798;  d.  9  April,  1830. 

Sarah,  b.  28  May,  1800;  m.,  1st,  Daniel  Biaisdell,  of  B.,  28  May, 
J  839  ;  2d,  Joshua  George,  of  Warner,  2  July,  1815. 

Mary,\).  19  June,  1809;  ni.  Jolm  Noyes.  of  Lebanon,  11  June, 
1815. 

Joseph  S.,  b.  19  April,  1817  ;  d.  12  June,  1843. 

GILL. 

Compiled  by  Elizabeth  P.  Gill. 

William,^  a  citizen  of  Newmarket,  was  the  ancestor  of  the  Gill 
families  of  B,,  Concord,  and  Hopkinton  ;  d.  about  the 
year  1810,  at  the  dwelling  of  his  son,  on  the  Plain. 

SumnnaJi,  b.  May  22.  1704;  m.  John  Kimball,  of  Hopkinton. 
William,  b.  8  Feb.,  1760. 
Bradbury,  b.  7  April,  1768. 

Moses,  b.  14  Oct.,  1770;  lived  and  d.  in  Portsmouth. 
Johi,  h.  21  July,  1774. 

Lucy,  b.  28  Feb.,  1780;  m.  Isaac  Shute,  of  Concord;  d.  March, 
1828;  eleven  children.  ' 

"William^  (William^)  m.  Puth  Haselton,  of  Concord,  and  settled 
on  the  Plain,  nearly  opposite  the  academy.  He  plant- 
ed the  elm  tree  now  standing  near  the  old  residence, 
which  being  measured,  15  Jan.,  1878,  by  his  son, 
James  H.,  was  fourteen  feet  in  circumference  four  feet 
from  the  ground,  and  its  branches  spread  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  feet.  For  the  beautiful  elm  trees  on  the 
east  side  of  the  highway,  between  the  academy  and 
Bridge  street,  the  town  is  indebted  to  him  and  his 
brother  Jolin,  who  planted  them  nearly  ninety  years 
ago. 


552  GENEALOGICAL GILL. 

Susan  B.,  b.  28  July,  1793:  d.  July,  1834. 

Ruth,   b.   24   Aug.,   1791;  m.   Benj.  Dearborn,   of   Plymouth;   d. 

Sept.,  1838;  nine  children. 
Mary,  b.  24  Aug.,  1790;  m.  Natli.  Draper,  of  riyniouth;  d.  Dec., 

1S3S;  six  children. 
Sally,  h.  20  Dec,  1797;  ni.  Jeremiah  Burpee;  d.  Nov.,  1872  [see 

Burpee  family.] 
William,  b.  4   Jan.,  18U0;  m.  Eliza  Bartlett,  1820;  d.  Sept.,  1853; 

five  children. 
Samuel,  b.  10  Aug.,  18  -3  ;  d.  Sept..  1819. 
Hannah,  h.  13  July,  1805  ;  m.  Charles  F.  Gage,  of  Methnen,  Mass., 

4  iMay,  lS3n  ;  three  children. 
Harriet,  h.   13  July,  1805  ;  m.   Robert  Cochran,  of  Plymouth  ;  d. 

Jan.,  18G(3;  six  cliildren. 
James  H.,h.  12  Oct.,  1807. 
John  H.,  b.  16  Sept..  1809. 
Eliza,  b.  26  Oct.,  1812  ;  d.  Oct.,  1817. 
Judith,  b.  29  Dec,  1815;  d.  Oct.,  1817. 

Bradbuky-  (William^)  m.  Eebecca  Straw,  ami  settled  in  Hop- 
kiiiton;  d.  March,  1812. 

Moses,  b.  31  Oct.,  1797. 

LyiUa,  b.  17  Nov.,  1799;  ni.  John  Carter,  1826  ;  five  cliildren. 

Betsey,  b.  19  Jan.,  1804  ;  d.  Nov.,  1819. 

Bradbury,  b.  10  Feb.,  1806;  m.  Hannah  Farnnm  ;  two  children. 

Rebecca,  b.  8  April,  1809  ;  m.  Mr.  Atkins,  of  Gardiner,  Me. 

John'^  (William^)  m.  Polly  Carter,  and  lived  in  the  house  now 
standing  nearly  opposite  the  residence  of  Nathaniel 
S.  Webster. 
A  son;  Judith. 

James  H.^  (AVilliam,^  William^)  m.  Hannah,  dau.  of  Simeon  At- 
kinson, Aug.,  1830,  and  settled  on  the  river  road,  near 
the  paternal  homestead  of  his  wife.  Subsequently  he 
moved  to  the  Plain,  opposite  the  church,  where  he  re- 
sides with  his  daughter. 
Elizabeth  P.,  h.  8  May,  1831. 

JoHX  H.'^  (William,^  William^)  m.  Otessa  Blodgett,  of  Plymouth, 
Dec,  1832,  and  is  now  living  there. 

MosES^  (Bradhury,2  William\)  m.  Harriet  Putney,  18  Dec,  1825, 
and  settled  on  the  Plain,  where  their  son  now  lives  ;  for 
a  time  he  was  superintendent  of  the  city  farm  in  Con- 
cord, where  he  and  his  wife  gained  many  friends,  and 
their  labors  in  caring  for  the  poor  were  duly  appreci- 
ated. 

Hamilton  P.,  b.  26  Oct.,  1826. 

Rebecca  S.,  b.  March,  1830;  d.  Sept.,  1831. 

Rebecca  S.,  b.  27  Dec,  1831;  m.  Andrew  Jackson. 

Hamilton  P^  (Mose.s,^  Bradbury-  William')  m.  Lydia  A.  Davis, 
of  Concord,  12  Sept.,  1850 ;  resides  on  the  homestead 
inherited  from  his  father. 


GENEALOGICAL GREENOUGH.  553 

Harriet  E.,  h.  1  Aug.,  ]8ol;  d.  7  March,  1S(37. 
Henrij  H.,  b.  7  July,  1855. 
E,^ther  /)..  b.  If)  Jan.,  1858. 
Mood//  C,  b.  17  July,  18G0, 

GREEXOUGir. 

Ebenezeu,-^  h.  in  Haverhill,  Mass. ;  m.  Maiy,  dau.  of  Eev.  Ebene- 
zer  Flagg,  of  Chester ;  moved  to  Canterhurj,  1793. 
Tlieir  children  were  seven  sons  and  four  daughters. 
John,  only,  settled  in  B. 

John,"  h.  in  Haverhill,  JMass.,  5  April,  1780  ;  moved  to  Canter- 
hur}',  with  his  father,  and  was  emploj^ed  in  his  store 
as  clerk  and  partner  until  he  moved  to  B.  ;  m.  iSTancy, 
dau.  of  Hon  Ahiel  Foster,  of  Canterbury,  1803.  He 
moved  to  B.,  Jan.,  1814,  and  purchased  the  house  for- 
merly the  residence  of  Col.  Timoth}'  Dix  ;  opened  a 
store  adjoining  his  house  for  the  sale  of  goods,  and 
continued  in  the  same  business  there  until  he  removed 
to  his  new  brick  store,  a  few  rods  north,  about  1820. 
His  business  increased  in  the  new  location  so  that  at 
one  time  he  kept  one  of  the  largest  stocks  of  goods  in 
N.  H.  He  continued  in  business  until  liis  death,  3 
Sept  ,  18G2.  [See  Biog.]  Mrs.  Greenough  d.  28 
]\[arch,  1819.  He  m.,  2d,  Mary,  dau.  of  Samuel 
Bridge,  Esq.,  of  Billerica,  Mass.,  1820. 

Cliildren  of  Nancy  : 

Mary,  b   1  July,  1801;  m.  Dea.  Nehemiah  Cogswell,  11  June,  1841, 

Frederick  William,  b.  2  April,  1800;  m.  Emily,  dau.  of Kins- 
man, of  Pembroke,  4  Nov.,  1846;  settled  in  Ohio. 

Elbridfje  Flagg,  b.  30  Feb.,  1808;  m.  Elizabeth  R.,  dau.  of  Moses 
Eastman,  Esq.,  of  Salisbury,  18  June,  1846;  d.  31  May, 
1875. 

Henry,  b.  Aug.,  1812;  d.  9  May,  1817. 

John  Brid(/e,  b.  8  Feb.,  1816  ;  m.  Susan  Hall,  adopted  dau.  of  Dea. 
William  Temple,  May,  1847;  d.  17  Jan.,  1864. 

Samuel  F.,  b.  22  March,  1819;  d.  in  infancy. 

Children  of  Mary  : 

Ellen  Noyes,  b.  9  Aug.,  1821;  ra.  Rev.  D.  R.  Brewer,  June,  1845; 

d.  2  April,  1852. 
Ann  Foster,   b.  19  July,  1823  ;  m.    John  W.  Sullivan,  of  Boston, 

18  Nov.,  1863. 
Lucia  Maria,  b.  11  Oct.,  1826;  m.  Charles  W.  Web.ster,  of  Boston, 

5  Jan.,  1853.     They  now  reside  on  the  homestead  of  his 

father,  Worcester  Webster,  formerly  the  mansion  of  Hon. 

Ezekiel  Webster. 
Henry  Pollard,  b.  15  Dec,  1831;  d.  13  Dec,  1852. 


554  GENEALOGICAL HARRIS. 

HAERIS. 

Compiled  by  E.  S.  Harris. 

Bethuel,^  of  Scottish  origin,  resided  in  Nelson,  and  became  cel- 
ebrated as  a  manufacturer  of  woollen  goods. 

Almon"  (BetbueP),  b.  29  Aug.,  1800  ;  lived  with  his  father  until 
1821 ;  went  to  Watertown,  Mass.,  and  worked  at  the 
business  carried  on  by  his  father  five  years,  returning 
to  Nelson,  and  m.  Phebe,  dan.  of  Ezra  Sheldon,  26 
June,  1826  ;  moved  to  Marlow,  and  erected  mills  for 
sawing  lumber,  grinding  grain,  carding  tv'ool,  and 
dressing  cloth.  In  1832  he  moved  on  to  a  farm  in 
Winchester.  Evidently  he  was  not  satisfied  with  an 
agricultural  life,  for  in  three  years  he  returned  to  Nel- 
son and  carried  on  the  manufacture  of  woollen  goods 
until  1847.  The  good  facilities  for  transportation, 
and  tlie  excellent  water-power  on  the  Contoocook, 
with  other  natural  advantages,  induced  him  to  remove 
there,  and  estaldish  his  business  on  a  larger  and  more 
permanent  basis.  He  purchased  of  Messrs.  Gage  the 
water-power  and  mill-site  which  had  long  been  occu- 
pied by  their  ancestors,  and  erected  thereon  the  Dus- 
ton  Island  AVoollen  IMilLs,  which  he  and  his  sons  suc- 
cessfully operated  until  his  death,  15  Sept.,  1876.  He 
was  regarded  by  his  townsmen  as  a  substantial  busi- 
ness man,  and  was  frequentl}^  called  to  fill  the  office 
of  selectman.  He  was  chosen  to  represent  the  town 
in  the  legislatures  of  1864  and  1865,  was  a  member  of 
the  Congregational  church  fort^'-four  years,  deacon  and 
superintendent  of  the  Sabbath-school,  in  the  towns 
where  he  resided,  many  years. 

Ezra  Sheldon,  h.  27  Nov.,  1827. 
Bethuel  Edwin,  b.  18  May,  1829. 
Almo7i  Ainger,  b.  29  Dec,  1832. 

Ezra  Sheldon^  (Almon,^  BethueP)  m.,  1st,  Cassandra  Androm- 
ache, dau.  of  Nathan  B.  Greene,  20  June,  1860.  She 
d.  5  Nov.,  1865.  Married,  2d,  Sarah  Amelia,  sister  of 
Cassandra,  12  Oct.,  1867. 

Children  of  Cassandra : 
Grace  Greene,  b.  14  Oct.,  1863. 
Robert  Lincoln,  b.  3  May,  1865. 

Children  of  Sarah : 
Harry  Sheldon,  b.  24  Aug.,  1868. 
Almon  Greene,  b.  24  Jan.,  1870. 
Lucy  Cassandra,  b.  3  Nov.,  1874. 


GENEALOGICAL HOSMER.  555 

Bethuel  Edwin^  (Almoir)  m.  AbLie  M.,  clau.  of  diaries  T. 
Eamos,  of  Milford,  Mass. 

Bethud  Edwin,  b.  U  Nov.,  1866. 

Amelia  Cla/lin,  h.  7  April,  1868. 

Frank  Sheldon,  b.  19  Nov.,  1871;  d.  22  July,  1873. 

Helen,  h.  14  March.  1875. 

Martj  Capen,  b.  5  Nov.,  1877. 

Almoin  Ainger^  (Almoii^)  m.  Eliza  Jane,  dau.  of  Ira  Sweatt,  11 
Sept.,  1855. 

Charles  Naudine.  b.  23  Aug.,  1873;  d.  7  Sept.,  1874. 
Ilari/  Isabel,  b.  1  Oct.,  1877. 

Ezra  and  Almon  settled  in  B.  (Fislierville)  and  still  continue 
tlie  business  established  by  their  father  and  themselves  under  the 
name  of  E.  S.  Harris  &  Co. 

HOSMEE. 

Compiled  by  Jacob  E.  Hosmer. 

James^  came  from  England  to  Mass. ;  became  a  freeman  17  May, 
1637 ;  d.  in  Concord,  Mass.,  7  Feb.,  1685. 

James-  m.  8arah  White  ;  was  killed  at  the  Sudbury  fight. 

Thomas,^  b.  6  Jul}-,  1672 ;  m.  Hannah  Hartwell. 

James,*  b.  1708. 

Samuel,^  b.  12  May,  1734 ;  m.  Anna  Parlin,  5  June,  1755. 

James,*^  b.  in  Concord,  Mass.,  1761 ;  m.  Ehoda  G.,  daii.  of  Capt. 
Ebenezer  Eastman,  of  Concord,  N.  H.,  1784 ;  d.  Aug., 
1835.     Ehoda  d.  at  B.,  23  Nov.,  1839. 

James,  h.  1785;  d.  in  New  Orleans,  Feb.,  1831. 

Jacob,  b.  25  Aug.,  1787. 

Samuel,  b.  5  May,  1791;  d.  in  Enfield,  25  Aug.,  1836. 

Nano/,  b.  1798;  d.  same  vear. 

Nathaniel,  b.  1  April,  1800;  d.  in  Orford,  1865. 

Reuben,  b.  1802;' d.  in  New  Chester  (now  Hill),  1814. 

Albe  Cadi/,  b.  1804;  d.  iu  Texas. 

Jacob''  (James,®  Samuel,^  James,*  Thomas,^  James,"  James^)  m. 
Catherine  Wellington,  in  Concord,  Mass.,  16  Oct., 
1808  ;  moved  to  Concord,  K  H.,  1812  ;  went  to  Ports- 
mouth a  volunteer  in  the  war  of  1812,  remained  21 
days,  when  the  war  closed ;  moved  to  B.  in  1815,  and 
purchased  of  Ezekiel  Webster  the  house  and  lot  next 
north  of  the  cemetery  on  the  Plain,  where  he  success- 
fully carried  on  the  manufacture  of  fur  hats  ;  an  esti- 
mable man  and  good  citizen  ;  d,  21  June,  1868.  His 
wife  d.  25  Jan.,  1876. 

36 


556  GENEALOGICAL — JACKMAN. 

Lucy  Ann  Augusta,  h.  10  July,  1809;  m.  Dr.  Stejilien  M.  Emery, 
22  Nov.,  1838;  resided  at  Fiaherville  ;  d.  8  April,  1878. 

Charlotte  Maria,  h-  2.5  Jane,  1812;  m.  1st,  James  K.  Brickett.  30 
Se]>t..  1855;  2d,  Jolni  Putiiev,  of  East  Concord,  10  May, 
1802. 

William  Henr;/,  b.  13  June,  18M. 

Lenora  Wdlit'ir/ton,  b.  11  Oct.,  1810;  m.  Dr.  John  Fellows;  d.  14 
Feb..  1877. 

3Iar>/  Catherine,  b.  3  Dec,  1818;  d.  21  Dec,  1818. 

Jacob  Eastman,  b.  23  April,  18-iO. 

Nancy  Pamelia,  b.  7  July,  1822. 

il/flr?/  Frances,  m.  Asa  L.  Drew,  2  Dec,  1854. 

Charles  Frederic,  b.  23  ]\Iay,  1827;  d.  21  Sept.,  1831. 

George  Franklin,  b.  27  Oct.,  1829;  d.  U  Aug..  1832. 

Charles  Frederic,  b.  1  Jan.,  1832;  d.  23  Jan.,  1839. 

William  Henry^  (Jacob'')  m.  Mary  Jane  Sanborn,  of  Sanborn- 
ton,  who  d.  7  March,  1863;  studied  medicine  with 
Dr.  Thomas  P.  Hill,  of  Sanbornton  ;  grad.  at  Dart. 
Med.  Coll.,  July,  1838  ;  resides  at  Fisherville.  Mar- 
ried, 2d,  Julia  Eastman  (Dunlap),  15  June,  1865. 
Children  of  Mary : 

Mary  Frances,h.  25  Sept.,  1842;  m.,lst,  Capt.William  Fosgate,who 
was  killed  at  Winchester,  Va.,  June,  1804;  2d.  John  E. 
Abbot,  of  Vallejo,Cal.;  two  children, — B alph  Hosmer  a.nd 
Frank  Brown. 

Carrie  Elena,  b.  28  Oct.,  1848;  d.  19  April,  1850. 

Ella  Jane.  b.  15  Nov.,  1851;  ni.  John  Chad  wick  ;  two  children, 
twins, — Julia  and  Jennie. 

Jacob  Eastmax^  (Jacob")  m.  Lucretia  Adele  Gillet,  25  May, 
1847  ;  resides  at  the  homestead  on  the  Plain  inherited 
from  his  father. 

Charles  Enrerij,  h.  8  Sept.,  1855. 

Stella  Adele,  b.  8  Sept.,  1859;  d.  1  April,  1800. 

JACKMAN. 

Compiled  by  Enoch  Jackman. 

James^  came  from  Exeter,  England,  with  his  wife,  Jemima,  and 
settled  in  Newbury.  Their  children  were  Sarah,  Es- 
ther, James,  Joanna,  and  Richard  The  last  named 
was  ancestor  of  the  Jackmans  of  B.  His  son,  Rich- 
ard,'^ m.  Elizabeth  Majors,  whose  sons,  George^  and 
Richard,^  settled  in  B.  in  1737. 

George^  m.  Hannah  Bishop,  1728 ;  was  chosen  deacon  upon  or- 
ganization of  the  church.     [See  Civil  Hist.] 
Mehitahle,  m.  Moses  Call;  d.  19  Oct.,  1809. 
Eunice,  b.  25  Nov.,  1730;  m.  John  Flanders;  d.  17  June,  ISIS, 
William,  b.  25  March,  1733;  d.  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  1820. 


GENEALOGICAL — JACKMAN. 


557 


George,  b.  28  Oct.,  1735. 

Su.wnnalu  )  (m.  Benj.  Eastman ;  moved  to  New- 

)-  b.  29  April,  17o9  ;  -       port. 
Elizabeth,  )  (m.  Capt.  Joseph  Eastman;  moved 

to  Concord. 
Benjamin,  h.  7  May,  1743. 
Hannah,  b.  1745:  d.  youiijj. 

EiCHARD,^  b.  in  Newbury,  1709 ;  brother  of  George ;  m.  Martha 
Call,  <lau.  of  Philip  Call,  of  Salisbury,  whose  mother 
was  killed  by  Indians.     [See  Civil  Hist."] 

Richard,  b.  6  Oct.,  17-10. 
J<>hn,h.  21  Aac;.,  1743. 
Moses,  b.  26  April,  1746. 
Samuel,  b.   17  March,  1749.  - 
Sarah,  h.  11  Sept.,  1751  ;  d.  in  infancy. 

Sarah,  b.  29  Sept.,  1755;  m,Benj.  Sweat  (one  of  the  first  deacons 
of  the  ciiurch  in  Webster)  ;  d.  20  March,  1845. 

George/  Esq.  (George,''  Dea.),  b.  in  Newbury,  28  Oct.,  1735 ;  m,, 

1st,  Martha  Webster  ;  2d, Thompson  ;  elected 

first  town-clerk,  1760. 

Elizabeth,  b.  4  July,  1758;  m.,  1st,  John  Stevens  ;  2d,  John  Flan- 
ders; d.  1834. 
-  William,  b.  16  Nov.,  1759  ;  m.  Betsey,  dau.  of  Robie  Morrill. 

Humphreii,h.    16   July,    1761;  m.  Judith  Pettengill ;  d.  28  Aug., 
18)3. 

Hannah,  b.  19  March,  1763  ;  m.  Joseph  Morrill. 

Martha,  b.  10  June,  1765;  m.  Ephraim  Wood,  of  Lebanon. 

George,  b.  14  April,  1767  ;  m.  Marion  Elliot ;  d.  6  Feb.,  1803. 

Ruth,  b.  7  Marcli,  1769;  m.  Joseph  Morrill  [?]. 

Nathan,  b.  21  Feb.,  1771;  m.  Catherine  Elliot  ;  lived  in  Bradford. 

John,  b.  80  March,  1773 ;  m.  Hannah  Pettengill ;  d.  26  May,  1793. 

Susannah,  b.  19  March,  1775 ;  m.   Stephen  Farnum  ;  d.  5  March, 
1797. 

Stephen,  h.  30  April,  1777;  m.  Sarah  Bamford ;  d.  July,  1829. 

Sal.li/,  b.  14  Jan.,  1779  ;  m.  Robert  Greenough. 

MehitaUe,  b.  11  Sept.,  1780  ;  d.  18  Sept.,  1780. 

Mehitable,  m.  Ephraim  Wood,  of  Lebanon. 

Benjamin/  Lieut.  (George''),  m.  Jane  AVoodman ;  d.  26  Nov., 
1836. 
Benjamin,  b.  8  Sept.,  1764;  d.  March,  1789. 
JosInia,h.  11  Jan.,  1766. 
Jane,  b.  20  Dec,  1767  ;  m.  Ezra  Abbot,   of  Concord;  d.   2   May, 

1847. 
William,  b.  6  April,  1870  ;  d.  18  Aug.,  1825,  in  Illinois. 
George,  b.  13  Oct.,  1772;  m.  Hannah  Heath;  d.  18  March,  1839. 
Anna,  b.  23  Oct.,  1774;  d.  28  Sept.,  1856. 

Hannah,  b.  31  Oct.,  1776;  m.  John  Plummer;  d.  24  Aug.,  1824. 
Jonathan,  b.  1   Sept.,  1780;  m.  Martha   Goodwin;   d.  24   March, 

1838. 
Mehitable,  b.  Oct.,  1782;  m.  David  Goodwin;  d.  8  March,  1839. 


558  GENEALOGICAL JACKMAN. 

Betsey,  b.  4  March,  1785  ;  d.  4  Dec,  1850. 

Polly  M.,  b.  2G  March,  1787;  m.  Abraham  Burbank;  d.  21  Sept., 

1858. 

Joshua^  (Benjamin,*  George-^),  b.  11  Jan.,  1766 ;  m.,  1st,  Sally 
Carter  ;  2d,  Dorothy  Sweat. 
Benjamin,  b.  14  Aug.,  1789. 
Jeremiah,  b.  20  Aug.,  1791. 
Judith,  b.  10  Xov.,  1793:  m.  Little  Bnrbank. 
Samuel,  b.  28  Sept.,  1798. 
Joshua  Woodman,  b.  1    Feb.,  1801. 
Hollis,  b.  22  June,  1803  ;  m.  llutli  Bugbee. 
Sally,  b.  12  Sept.,  1807  ;  m.  Isaac  15ngbee. 
Nancy,  b.  2  June,  1810;  m.  Eddie  Tracy. 
Joseph  Warren,  b.  22  June,   1812. 
Dorothy,  b.  21  Nov.,  1815;  m.  Friend  L.  Burbanlc. 

Benjamin®  (Joshua,^  Benjamin,*  George^)  ra.  Betsey  Beverley. 
(Living  in  "Webster,  1876.) 

Jeremiah,  b.  27  April,  1819  ;  ni.  ]Mary  Doe. 

John,  b.  June,  1822. 

Jehial  b.  27  July,  1826;  m.  Ann  Mullin. 

Joshua  Woodman®  (Joshua^)  m.  Mary  Burbanlc;  d.  in  Chelsea, 

Vt. 
Polly. 
Joseph  Warken''^  (Joshua")  m.,  1st,  Judith  Burbank  ;  2d,  Tam- 

son  Danforth. 

George  B.,  b.  7  May,  1846;  d.  8  May,  1865. 
William  W.,  b.  25  June,  1851. 
Charles  T.,  b.  15  June,  1853. 
Judith  M.,  b.  19  Aug.,  1857. 

ElCHARD*  (Richard^)  m.  Ruth  Straw.  The  family  moved  to 
Tamworth,  1771.  Richard  Jackman  was  one  of  the 
first  four  settlers  of  that  town.  He  subsequently 
moved  to  Maine.    [See   Hist,  Tamworth.] 

Bicliard,  b.  0  Aug.,  1764. 

Henry,  b.  23  June,  1766. 

John*  (Richard^),  m.  Mary,  dau.  of  William  Danforth :  d.  March, 
1813. 

Nehemiah,  b.  4  July,  1764;  ni.  Ruth  Flanders;  d.  Oct.,  1845. 
Samuel,  b.  23  Dec,  1766. 

Moses,  h.  1  Jan.,  1769;  m.,  1st, Corser;  2d,  Cass; 

d.  18  April,  18.56. 
Mary,  b.  1  Aug.,  1771:  ra.  Dr.  Benj.  Knowlton. 
Susannah,  h.  17  May,  1774;  m.  Nathaniel  Thurston. 
Elizabeth,  h.  28  Feb.,  1779  ;  m.  Jolin  Elliot,  Jr. 
Olive,  b.  7  Dec,  1781;  ni.  Samuel  Page. 
Josiah,h.  6  April,  1784;  m.  Dorothea  Corser. 
William,  b,  13  April,  1787;  ra, Huntoon. 


y^  /  /  /  f 


^ 


GENEALOGICAL JACKMAN. 


559 


Moses*  (RicLartP),  captured  by  the  Indians  [see  Civil  Hist.] ; 
m.  Martha  Morse ;  d.  8  Dec,  1838. 

Ruth,  b.  1  May,  177i ;  m,,  1st,  Ezekiel  Eastman;  2d,  MaciahMoul- 
ton. 

Closes,  b.  14  Jan.,  1776;  m.,  1st,  Khoda  Collins;  2d,  Betsey 
Beecher;  d.  24  Nov.,  1801. 

David,  b.  25  March,  1779  ;  ra.,  1st,  Naomi  Elliot;  2d,  Mary  Flan- 
ders; d.  14  May,  1875. 

Sarah,  b.  6  Nov.,  1780  ;  m.  Samuel  Oilman;  d.  20  April,  1841. 

Martha,  b.  12  Nov.,  1780;  m.  Jeremiah  Noyes;  d.  5  March,  1858. 

John,  b.  4  Julv,  1790. 

Caleb,  b.  5  July,  1794. 

Enoch,  b.  11  July,  1797  ;  d.  4  Sept.,  1825. 

JoHN^  (Moses'')  m.  Esther  Burpee ;  d.  20  Sept.,  1860. 

Esther. 

John,  b.  21  July,  1823;  m.  Sarah  Boynton;  professor  of  music; 
resides  in  B. ;  one  son, — Joseph  Henry,  b.  23  March,  1861. 

Caleb^  (Moses*)  m.  Martha  Burpee ;  lives  in  Concord  [see  Biog]. 
Emily,  b.  13  May,  1841;  m.  Henry  M.  Elliot. 

Enoch,  b.  7  May,  1828;  m.  Mary  Elizabeth  Moody;  lives  in  Con- 
cord. 

Samuel*  (Richard^^),  m.  1st,  Submit  Brown ;  2d,  Hannah  Wins- 
low  ;  a  joiner.  He  erected  the  frame  of  the  town- 
house  in  Webster  [see  Hist.] ;  moved  to  Vt.,  thence 
to  Concord,  where  he  d.  20  Aug.,  1845.  He  was  called 
''  Joiner  "  Jackman,  to  distinguish  him  from  Samuel 
Jackman,  the  blacksmith.  He  was  a  man  of  marked 
ability  and  sterling  integrity,  and  of  great  strength; 
an  athlete  ;  he  could  climb  trees  feet  foremost. 

Rhoda,  b.  22  May,  1774. 

Samuel,  h.  20  April.  1776  ;  d.  same  year. 

Martha,  b.  3  Jan.,  1778. 

Samuel,  h.  15  Feb.,  178  i ;  m.  Lydia  Shattuck  ;  d.  16  Oct.,  1852. 

Molli/,  b.  1  March,  1782;  m.  Samuel  Barbank. 

RoTjal. 

ExocH«  (Caleb,^  Moses*)  m.  Mary  Elizabeth  Moody. 

Martha  E.,  b.  22  Jan.,  1869. 
JJllie  Idella,  29  Auo;.,  1871. 
Esther  Burpee,  b.  23  April,  1877. 

Samuel  (nephew  of  Dea.  George),  blacksmith,  came  from  New- 
bury about  1770 ;  ni.  Anna  Fowler,  of  Newbury.  He 
lived  near  Millbrook,  west  of  the  late  residence  of 
Isaac  and  Col.  Enoch  Gerrish.  His  son  Samuel,  in 
1814,  lost  five  children  in  one  week  by  spotted  (scar- 
let) fever.  Eev.  Mr.  Price  has  the  following  para- 
graph in   regard   to    the    mortality :     '^  On    Sabbath 


560 


GENEALOGICAL JOHNSON. 


morning,  Nov.  27,  Mr.  Jackman  had  seven  children 
in  apparent  good  health.  At  eight  o'clock  Hannah 
Kimball,  aged  nine,  and  Isaac  Gerrish,  aged  seven 
years,  were  taken  ill.  The  hoy  died  in  eight  and  the 
girl  in  twenty-four  hours.  Their  funeral  attended  on 
Monday, — discourse  delivered  by  Rev,  Mr.  ^Vood, 
from  Prov.  27,  1st  verse, — and  both  interred  in  one 
grave.  Walter  Harris,  five  years  old,  was  attacked 
by  the  same  disease  on  Tuesday  morning  :  died  in 
twelve  hours,  and  was  buried  on  Wednesday.  On 
Friday,  David  Flanders,  two  years  old,  was  in  like 
manner  seized,  and  died  in  six  hours, — his  funeral  at- 
tended on  Saturday :  Ilev.  Mr.  Wood  preached  on  the 
occasion  from  John,  0:20 ;  but  in  the  time  of  the  fu- 
neral exercises,  Nancy,  about  three  years  old,  received 
the  fatal  attack,  died  in  ten  hours,  and  was  l)uried  on 
the  Sabbath.  Thus  a  holy  God,  whose  jDrovidence  is 
inscrutable,  took  from  the  fond  parents,  out  of  seven, 
five  lovely  children,  in  the  short  term  of  seven  dajs. 
Medical  aid  was  early  resorted  to  in  these  cases,  but 
the  violence  of  the  attack  in  each  case  admitted  of  no 
relief  from  the  application  of  medicine." 

Simeon,  a  brother  of  Samuel,  the  blacksmith,  came  to  B.  from 
Newbury,  1774,  and  erected  a  saw-mill  on  Blackwater 
river. 

JOHNSON. 

Compiled  by  Jolin  Kimball. 

Jonathan,^  b.  31  Dec,  1753  ;  m.  Ehoda,  dau.  of  Eeuben  Abbot, 
of  Concord,  8  Jan  ,  1778  (see  Abbot  family);  nearly 
all  of  their  descendants  settled  in  B.  ;  d.  IG  Sept., 
1821.  His  wife,  b.  31  Dec,  1756,  d.  3  Aug.,  1839. 
They  settled  on  Horse  hill,  in  Concord,  near  tlie  line, 
and  had  twelve  children. 

PJiehe,  b.  10  Sept.,  1778;  ni.  Eleazer  Davis;  d.  23  Sept.,  1S1.9. 
Timothy,  h.  10  Jan.,  1780;  m.  Melindii  Swett. 
Elanoi,  h.  10  Oct.,  1781  ;  d.  at  B.  29  Jan.,  1849. 
lihofhi,  b.  7  Nov.,  1783;  m.  Timotliy  Abbot;  d.  28  Sept.,  1804. 
Hannah,h.   13   Mny,   1785;  m.  Ezekiel   Eastman;  moved   to  Ver- 
mont; d.  2h  Miirch,l859. 
Jnhi,  b.  11  Feb..  1787  ;  d,  2  Dec,  1790. 
Reuben,  b.  12  Jan.,  1789;  ni.  Judith  II    Chan<ller. 
Sarah  Carter,  b.  15  May,  1791  ;  d.   at  B.,  29  April,  ISGl. 
John,  b.  1.5  Jan.,  1793  ;  m.  Sophia  Abbot;  d.  2ii  Nov.,  1871. 
PhiUi^  C,  b.  9  Marcii,  1795;  ni.  Mary  Chandler. 
Buth,  b.  24  Aug.,  1797  ;  d.  at  B.,  0   Feb.,  1875. 
Obadiah  C,  b.  11  July,  1801  ;  ni.  Betsey  Charles. 


GENEALOGICAL JOHNSON.  561 

/ 
Eeuben-  (Jonathan^)  m.  Judith  H.,  dau.  of  Capt.  John  Chandler, 
1811,  and  for  a  time  lived  and  carried  on  the  wool- 
carding  and  cloth-dressing  business  at  West  Concord; 
moved  to  B.  in  1818,  and  succeeded  Capt.  Chandler  in 
the  hotel  at  the  south  part  of  the  town  (now  the  Pen- 
acook  house),  which  he  kept  until  a  few  years  before 
his  death,  16  March,  1852.     His  wife  d.  1  Nov.,  1843. 

Lucy  Jane,  b.  31  Aug.,  1812;  m.  Wm.  M.  Kimball.  8  Jan.,  1835. 

Luther  Gage,  b.  13  Nov.,  1813;  m.  Cornelia,  dau.  of  Hon.  Ezekiel 
]\Iorrill,  21  Jan.,  1847;  resides  in  Miuiiea[)oli.s,  Minn. 

Twin,  d.  ill  infancy. 

Charlotte,  b.  9  Oct.,  1815;  drowned  23  July,  1824. 

Clarissa,  b.  3  Dec,  1817;  m.  J.  C.  Smith,  of  Salisbury,  2G  May, 
1841 ;  resides  in  Salisbury. 

Susan  Gar/e,  h.  5  July,  1820;  m.  Isaac  K.  Gage  [see  Gage  family]. 

John  C,  h.  11)  Feb.,  1825;  d.  12  March,  1826. 

John  Chandler,  h.  23  Sept.,  1827  ;  m.  Ann,  dau.  of  Jeremiah  Til- 
ton,  of  Sanbornton,  3  Sept.,  1851;  resides  in  Minneapolis, 
J\linn. 

Charlotte,  h.d  Xov.,  182.9;  m.  S.  D.  Hubbard,  March,  1851;  d. 
9  Feb.,  1852. 

Marij  Xaomi.  h.  17  May,  1832;  m.  W.  B.  Cogswell,  31  Jan.,  1856; 
d.  28  July,  1877,  at  Mine  La  Motte,"'Mo. 

Annette  Eastman,  b.  1  March,  1837  ;  d.  9  March,  1838. 

JoHX^  (Jonathan^)  m.  Sophia,  dau.  of  Nathan  Abbot,  of  Concord, 
28  Aug.,  1817.  Tbey  settled  on  Queen  st.,  near  the 
south  part  of  the  town,  where  he  carried  on  the  busi- 
ness of  builder  and  carpenter  until  his  death,  20  Nov., 
1871. 

Lorenzo,  b.  17  Oct.,  1819 :  d.  1  Sept.,  1820. 
^    Catherine  C,  b.  9  Dec,  1820 ;  d.  5  Nov.,  1857. 
Lorenzo,  b.  16  Nov.,  1822  ;  m.  Adaline  Fiske,  6  Jan.,  1847.     ' 
Lucretia,  b.  9  i\Iay,  1825;  m.  Eben  Howe,  20  Oct..  1855. 
Francis,  b.  24  June,  1827;  m.  ]\Iary  J.  Nutter,  1850. 
Timothij,  b.  andd.  15  April,  1831). 
John,  b.  25  April,  1831;  d.  9  March,  1833. 
Sophia,  b.  15  Sept.,  1834;  d.  15  Jan.,  1851. 

John,  h.  10  Oct.,  1837;  m.  1st,  Amanda  M.  Stewart;  2d,  Judith 
Knowlton,  of  Concord. 

Warrex,  another  branch  of  the  Johnson  family,  was  b.  in  North- 
wood,  5  Feb.,   1800 ;  moved  to  B.   in   the  spring  of 
1825  ;  m.,  1st,  Mercy  Sanborn,  of  Sjjringfield,  14  June, 
X  1825.     They  settled  on  the  brow  of  the  hill  overlook- 

ing the  falls  of  the  Contoocook,  where  he  built  a  shop 
and  carried  on  the  blacksmith  business,  having  pre- 
viously learned  the  trade  of  edge-tool  making  at 
Northwood.     He  possessed  superior  skill  as  a  worker 


562  GENEALOGICAL KILBURN. 

of  iron,  and  soon  added  to  his  business  the  manufac- 
ture of  mill  work,  iron  axle-trees,  and  iron-work  gen- 
erally for  carriages  and  manufacturing  jiurposes.  He 
was  the  first  in  town  who  put  in  operation  the  lathe 
for  turning  iron,  and  other  labor-saving  machinery  at 
that  time  new,  but  now  common.  His  shop  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  1836,  and  rebuilt  in  1837,  where  he 
carried  on  business  till  1843  ;  resides  in  Fisherville. 
His  wife,  b.  1  Sept.,  1803,  d.  18  July,  1840.  Married, 
2d,  Sarah  Ann  Sargent,  1  Sept.,  L841. 

Children  of  Mercy  : 

Maliala,  b.  1  April,  1826;  d.  24  March.  1827. 
Alkander  G.,  b.  23  Dec,  1827;  d.  12  April,  1829. 
Jonathans.,  b.  11  Jan.,  1830;  lives  in  Lawrence,  Ma?s. 

Wnrr/J^T  \  ^-  14  March,  1825 ;  \  f''  !"  Lawrence   Mass. 
Warren  H.,^  '  '  ^  Uves  in  Marion,  Iowa. 

Children  of  Sarah : 

Martha  F.,  b.  15  Aug.,  1843 ;  d.  13  Nov.,  1861. 
Millard  F.,  b.  27  Oct.,  1850;  grad.  at  Brown  University  ;  a  Bap- 
tist clergyman. 
Flora  C,  b.  21  May,  1851;  resides  at  Fisherville. 

KILBUEN. 

Thomas^  was  b.  in  the  parish  of  Wood  Ditton,  Cambridgeshire, 
England,  1578.  His  children  Avere  Mwr/eiret,  Thom- 
as, Jilizabeth,  George,  Mary,  Lydia,  Frances,  and 
John.  He  sailed  from  England  on  sliip  "  Increase," 
with  five  of  his  children,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five,  and 
settled  in  Weathersfield,  Conn.,  1639.  It  is  known 
that  Thomas,  the  eldest  son,  came  in  the  ship  "  Eliza- 
beth," 1638 ;  and  it  is  proliable  that  George  came 
with  him,  and  settled  in  Koxbury,  Mass.,  where  he  is 
registered  as  a  member  of  the  church  the  same  year. 

George^  in  1640  was  living  in  Rowley,  and  is  registered  as  a 
freeman.     His  wife's  name  was  Elizabeth. 

Mary,  Joseph,  Jacob,  Samuel,  Isaac,  Elizabeth. 

Samuel^  (George,-  Thomas^),  b.  1  Sept.,  1656  ;  m.  Mary  Foster  ; 
d.  22  April,  1722.  His  will  is  in  the  Ipswich  probate 
office. 

Hannah,  Samuel,  David,  Marcia,  Jedediah,  Eliphalet. 

Jedediah"  (Samuel,^  George,^  Thomas^),  b.  20  April,  1699 ;  m. 
Susanna  Fiske,  of  Ipswich.  He  is  put  down  as  "cor- 
net," 4  Feb.,  1759. 


,n-^.^^cyA^ 


«-'C^'7^>^ 


GENEALOGICAL — KILBURN.  563 

Nathan,  b.  1750. 

Eliphalet,  h.  1752  ;  d.  11  Dec,  1844. 

Lucy^h.  1751;  lu.  Win.  Southwick  ;  settled  in  Dauvers. 

Mercy,  b.  175(J ;  m.  Daniel  Abbot,  Concord. 

Jedediah,  b.  1792;  Newburyport ;  a  seaman. 

Nathaniel,  b.  17G1 ;  settled  in  B.  ;  moved  to  Thetford,  Vt. 

Susan,  d.   young. 

Eliphalet,^  Dea.  (Jedediah*),  b.  in  Eowley ;  served  in  the  Revo- 
lution ;  m.  Mary  Thorla,  of  Rowley ;  moved  to  B., 
1780.     [See  Biog.] 

Eunice,  h.  11  April,  17S1;  m.  Samuel  Fowler,  of  B. 

George   T.,  h.  1781. 

Enoch,     }   ,      ^r-o^    f 

Hannah,  ^  "■   -"^"'  |  m.  Thoraaw  Coffin,  of  B.  ;  d.  20  Aug.,  1833. 

Mary,  b.  1787;  m.  Benj.  T.  Kimball,  of  B. 

Susan,  b.  1789;  m.,  1st,  Geo.  T.  Pillsbury,  of  B.;  2d, Saw- 
yer, of  Warner. 

Betsey,  b.  1792;  m.  Joseph  Stone,  of  Salisbury. 

Clarissa,  h.  1800;  resides  witli  her  sister,  Mrs.  S.  B.  Little,  in  Web- 
ster. 

Sally,  m.  Benj.  T.  Kimball ;  lives  on  Water  street. 

Phebe,  b.  26  Sept.,  1801;  m.  Simeon  B.  Little,  of  B. 

Eliphalet,  b.  1801. 

Moody  A.,  b.  1807;  m.,  1st,  Lurana  Bliss,  of  B.;  2d,  Caroline  B. 
Fi field,  of  Salisbury. 

George  T.«  (Eliphak't^),  b.    1784 ;  m.,    1st,   Abigail  Allen ;   2d, 
Mary  Morse. 
Children  of  Abigail : 

Samuel  N.,  b.  1816;  d.  1826. 

Harriet  N.,  b.  Dec,  1818. 

Elliot  W.,  b.  Feb.,  1820. 

Enoch  G.,  b.  May,  1822;  resides  in  Waltham,  Mass. 

Francis  W.,  b.  25  Dec,  1821. 

John  A.,h.  Sept.,  1826. 

Fran-CIS  W."   (George  T.*^)  m.  Eliza  A.  Lougee ;  lives  in  Con- 
cord. 
Adele,  b.  31  Oct.,  1856;  d.  March,  1858. 
Nellie  F.,  b.  12   Jan.,  1860. 

John  A.'^  (George  T.*')  m.  Frances  M.  Brichett,  of  Fisherville  ; 
lawyer;  d.  20  Is"ov.,  1860. 

Willie  E.,  b.  10  April,  18.38;  d.  Feb.,  1860. 
Helen  M.,h.  28  Oct.,  1859. 

Eliphalet*'  (Eliphalet,^  Dea.)  m.  Mehitable  Foster,  of  Canter- 
bury.    [See  Biog.] 
Galen  Foster,  b.  7  May,  18:31. 
Sarah  Jane,h.  5  Aug.,  1836;  d.  3  Nov.,  1855. 
Lucien  Moody,  b.  20  Jan.,  1812. 
Charles  Harrison,  b.  11  Dec,  1817. 


564  GENEALOGICAL KILBURN. 

Galex  Eoster'  (Eliplmlet,'^  Eliphalet/  Dea.)^  ''^-  "  May,  1834 ; 
resided  at  home  till  1857.  His  educational  advan- 
tages were  the  common  school  and  a  few  terms  at  an 
academy.  In  1857  he  went  AVest  and  settled  at  Des 
Moines,  Iowa  ;  taught  school ;  studied  law  with  J.  E. 
Jewett  and  C.  C.  Cole,  the  last  since  chief-justice  of 
Iowa;  began  j^ractice  at  Eontanelle,  Adair  county, 
Jan.,  18G0 ;  was  elected  representative,  1867 ;  took  a 
prominent  part  as  a  legislator ;  elected  trustee  State 
Agricultural  College.  In  1876  he  removed  to  Creston, 
where  he  now  resides,  devoting  himself  to  his  profes- 
sion. Married,  1st,  Jennie  A.,  dau.  of  Eev.  Joseph 
Mathes ;  2d,  Emilie  C.  Baker. 

Children  of  Jennie  : 

Lucien  M.,  h.  March,  1861. 
Ellen  A.,  b.  July,  18(j;3. 
Edmund,  b.  Dec,  18(30. 
Fannie  L.,  b.  Jan.,  1870. 
Winnie,  b.  Nov.,  1875. 

Lucien  M.^  (Eliphalet*')  m.  Lizzie  Peet. 
Charles  W..  b.  July,  1872. 
George  G^.,  b.  Jan.,  1871. 

Enoch^  (Eliphalet,^  Dea.),  h.  7  Feb.,  1784  ;  m.,  1st,  Betsev  Morse  ; 
2d,  Elizabeth  Cogswell;  d.  at  Andover,  24  Feb.,  1875. 
[See  Biog.] 

Children  of  Betsey : 

Mary  P.,  h.  1813;  m.  D.  F.  Kimball,  of  B. 

Judith  A.,  b.  1815;  m.  Moses  Farnum,  of  Concord;  d.  1869. 

Gilbert  T.,  b.l819. 

Enoch,  b.  1821 ;  d.  young. 

Livonia  C,  b.  1823. 

Enoch  G.,  b.  1826;  d.  1871. 

Benjamin  Franklin,  h.  1828. 

Children  of  Elizabeth  : 

Hennj  W.,  b.  26   Sept.  1837. 
Joseph  C,  b.  5  July,  1839. 
Elizabeth  S..  h.  1842. 

John  C.,26  March,  1843;  m.  Nancy  Bussell,  of  Andover;  one  child, 
—B.  Franl: 

Gilbert  T.^  (Enoch,«  Eliphalet,^  Dea.),  b.  1819  ;  m.  Abby  Scrib- 
ner;  lives  in  Concord. 
George  T.,  Ben  S. 

Enoch  G.^  (Enoch«),  b.  1826;  m.,  1st,  Clara  Fletcher;  2d,  Sybil 
V.  Hoyt;  d.  1870. 


GENEALOGICAL KILBURN.  565 

Cliiklrcii  of  first  wife  : 
Mary^  Gerrish. 

Benjamin  F.^  (Enoch®),  b.  1828 ;  m.  Jane  E.  Haley,  of  Andover ; 
lived  in  Concord  ;  d.  1872. 
William  H.,  Ella  M.,  Frederick. 

Henry  W.^  (Enoch,*'  Eliphalet,^  Dea.),   h.   26  Sept.,  1837;  m. 
Sophronia  Herse3',  of  Hill. 
Anson  Hersey,  b.  26  March,  18(30. 
Sidney  Gerrish,  b.  19  Nov.,  1871. 

Joseph  C'  (Enoch*'),  b.  5  July,  1837 ;  m.  Abby  Hawkins,  of  San- 
bornton  ;  lives  in  Henniker. 
Walter  Edward. 

Thomas*  (Joseph,^  George,"^  Tliomas^),  1).  3  Sept.,  1753 ;  m.  Anna 
Plumei",  of  Newliury. 

Daniel. 

Ablqail,  b.  7  Sept.,  1783  ;  ni.  David  Corser,  of  B. 

Ruih,  h.  14  Dec,  1790;  m.  Wm.  Warren,  of  Waterford,  Me. 

Thomas,  b.  1792  ;  m.  Lj'dia  Warren,  of  Waterford,  Me. 

John. 

JoHN^  (Thomas*),   b,  12  Nov.,  1794 ;  m.  Mary  Butler,  of  Essex, 
Mass. ;  d.  1875. 
William  TF.,  b.  G  Sept.,  1820;  m.  Louisa  McClnre. 

Thomas,  h.  26  Feb.,  1826  ;  m.,  1st, Dearborn  ;  2d,  Elizabeth 

McCurdy. 
Daniel,  h.  11  Dec,  1830. 
John,  b.  2  Sept.,  1837  ;  m.  Finette  Flanders. 

Daniel^  (Thomas*)  m.,  1st, Uran ;  2d, Butler. 

Albert  Plummer. 

Charles,  b.  16  June,  1814  ;  d.  12  March,  1839. 

Albeiit  p.''  (DanieP),  b.  1  In"ov.,  1810 ;  m.  Abigail  Tuttle. 
Nancy,  m.  Hiram  Little. 
Charles  P.,  b.  21  Jan.,  1840;  d.  9  Aug.,  1842. 
Daniel  P.,  b.  15  March,  1845;  member  U.  S.  Sharpshooters;  cb  16 

March,  1864. 
Charles  A.,  b.  5  March,  1849  ;  d.  29  Sept.,  1857. 
Flora  Ella.  b.  10  March,  1851;  d.  1857. 
Charles  Albert,  b.  16  Dec,  18.37. 

Nathan^  (Jedediali,*  Samuel,^   George,^  Thomas^),  b.  1750;  m. 
Sarah  Plummer,  of  Newbury ;  settled  in  B.,  1794. 
John. 
James,  b.  17  ISTov.,  1783;  m.  Elizabeth  Thurston,  of  Newbury;  d. 

U  Dec,  1869. 
Nathan,  d.  young. 
Sarah,  d.  young. 


566 


GENEALOGICAL KIMBALL. 


Jambs'^  (Natlian"). 

Ellzaheth,  b.  9  Sept.,  1808  ;  m.  Dr.  Peter  Carleton;d.  10  April,  1827, 

in  Ind. 
Juilllh  T.,  b.  U  March,  1810  ;  rl.  April,  1831. 
Ednah,  b.  18  Jan.,  1812  ;  d.  1  Sept.,  1838. 
Nathan,  b.  2  Marcli,  18M. 
Eunke.  b.  13  .July,  181 G  ;  m.  John  T.  Dole. 
Judith  Frances,  b.  28  Sept.,  1832;  m.  Oscar  F.  Lawrence,  111. 

Nathan'^  (James^),  b.  2  Marcli,  1813 ;  m.,  1st,  Polly  Danforth  ; 
2d,  Harriet  IST.  Huntoon. 

Children  of  Polly  : 

Albert,  b.  15  Auff.,  1810;  d.  Dec,  1874. 
Sarah  C,  b.  2.5  June,  1842. 
Angelia,  h.  22  Sept.,  1847. 
Manetta,  b.  27  June,  1851. 

KIMBALL. 

Compiled  by  Joliii  Kimball. 

Joseph,^  b.  in  Exeter  in  1728;  moved  to  Canterbury  in  1793. 
Some  of  his  descendants  settled  in  B.  He  had  seven 
sons  and  four  daughters.  Sarah,  John,  and  Joseph 
came  to  Canterbury  the  next  year.  During  a  severe 
sickness  in  early  life  he  became  blind.  He  never 
looked  upon  the  town  ot"  Canterbury,  where  he  resided 
twenty-one  years,  and  never  saw  six  of  his  children. 
He  d.'  6  NoV.,  1814. 

JoHX^  (Joseph^),  b.  in  Exeter,  20  Nov.,  1707 ;  m.  Sarah,  dau.  of 
Benj.  Moulton,  of  Kensington,  21  Nov.,  1793 ;  moved 
to  Canterhur}'-  17  Feb.,  1794,  and  settled  on  their 
homestead,  just  north  of  Shaker  Village,  where  they 
resided  nearly  sixty  years.  After  tlie  death  of  his 
wife,  30  April,  1853,  he  lived  with  his  son  until  his 
death,  26  Feb.,  1801.  Their  children  were  six  sons 
and  three  daughters,  of  whom  Henjamin  and  John 
settled  in  B. 

Joseph^  (Joseph^),  b.  in  Exeter,  23  Maj;,  1772  ;  moved  to  Can- 
terbury, and  m.  Polly  Hall ;  they  settled  near  the 
meeting-house  at  the  centre  of  the  town;  their  chil- 
dren were  four  sons  and  six  daughters.  He  d.  19 
June,  1863.  Jeremiah  and  William  Moody  settled 
inB. 

Benjamin^  (John,^  Joseph^),  b.  in  Canterbury,  27  Dec,  1794 ; 
m.  Euth  Ames,  dau.  of  David  Ames,  2  Feb.,  1820 ; 
moved  to  B.  in  the  spring  of  1824,  and  settled  on  the 


GENEALOGICAL — KIMBALL. 


567 


farm  known  as   the   Frost  place,  High  st.  ;  resided 
there  until  Nov.,   1830,  when  they  removed   to   the 
south  part  of  the  town,  now  Pisherville ;  d.  21  July, 
1834.     He  w^as  an  active  and  influential  husiness  man. 
In  1831  he  erected   the  dam  across  the   Contoocook 
river,  and  the  brick  grist-  and  flouring-mill  now  stand- 
ing near  the   stone  factory ;  and  afterwards,  with  his 
cousin,  William  M.,  carried  on  the  business  of  manu- 
facturing lumber.     He  took  an  active  part  in  all  that 
was  essential  to  the  general  and  religious  welfare  of 
the   town.     In   March  preceding   his    death   he   was 
elected  to  represent  the  town  in  the   legislature,  but 
his  health  was  so  impaired  he  was  not  able  to  take 
his  seat. 
JoJin,h.  13   April,  1821. 

Elizabeth  /.,  b.  12    April,  1825;  d.  20  Sept.,  1810. 
Joseph  A.,  b.  8  Oct.,  1826 -,  d.  20  Feb.,  1827. 
Lucy  A.,  b.  28  Aug.,  1829;  d.  25  Aug.,  1832. 
Benjamin  A.,  b.  22  Aug.,  1833. 
JOHN^   ( John^),  b.   in  Canterbury,  31  May,  1798 ;  m.    Sally  S., 
dau.  of  John  Peverly,  24  Oct.,  1826 ;  moved  to  B.  the 
next  day,  and  settled  on  the  farm  known  as  the  EoKe 
place,  liigh  st.     They  resided  there  until  his  death, 
30  Sept.,^lS29.     Their  child,  John  P.,  b.  23  Dec, 
1827,  with  his  mother,  returned  to  Canterbury  soon 
after,  where   they  now   reside.     She  afterwards  mar- 
ried David  Morrill. 
Jeremiah^  (Joseph"-^),  b.  in  Canterbury,  30  Nov.,  1799  ;  educated 
at    Phillips    Exeter  Academy ;  m.,   1st,  Julia,  dau.  of 
Timothy  Gleason,  in  1826;  2d,  Kate,  dau.  of  M.  N. 
Brown, '4  Jan.,  1869.     After  following  the  business 
of  a  merchant  in  Canterbury  and  Northfield  ten  years, 
he  removed  to  B.  in  1836,  and  formed  a  business  con- 
nection with  Luther  G.  Johnson.     They  were  the  first 
tradesmen  who  opened  a  store  for  the  sale  of  goods  in 
the  south  part  of  the   town.     He  remained  here  and 
carried  on   the   same  business   nearly  twenty  years, 
when  he  removed  to  Concord,  wdiere   he  is  an  active 
business  man,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine. 

Willi 4.M  Moody^  (Joseph-),  b.  in  Canterbxiry,  4  Dec,  1809; 
moved  toB.  in  1832,  and  associated  himself  m  business 
with  his  cousin  Benjamin;  m.  Lucy  Jane,  dau.  of 
Eeuben  Johnson,  8  Jan.,  1835.  He  has  been  repeat- 
edly elected  to  fill  various  offices  in  town,  for  which  he 
was  well  qualified.  At  one  time  he  was  owner  in  the 
large  and  valuable   water-pow-er  now  the  basis  of  the 


5G8  GENEALOGICAL — KIMBALL. 

flourishing  village  of  Fislierville.  In  early  life  he  was 
successfully  engaged  in  building  mills  and  machinery 
in  various  parts  of  the  state,  for  which  he  and  others 
of  the  same  family  became  celebrated.  Yov  a  time  he 
was  employed  by  one  of  the  large  manufacturing  com- 
panies in  the  city  of  Lawrence,  Mass.  Tliey  removed 
to  Minneapolis  in  1857,  their  present  residence.  Dur- 
ing the  war  he  served  as  quartermaster  of  Sibley's  ex- 
pedition against  the  Sioux  Indians, — a  difficult  posi- 
tion, requiring  great  energy  and  despatch. 

WiUinm  S..  h.  31  March,  1837. 

M.  EUzahelh,  b.  28  Dec,  1838;  m.  Hon.  E.  M.  Wilson,  of  Mume- 

apobs,  Minn.,  G  Sept.,  1865. 
Helen,  h.  17  Aujr.,  1849;  d.  27  Dec,  1851. 
Edward.T..  b.  20  Nov.,  18.52;  m.  Emily,  dau.  of  Winthrop  Young, 

of  MinneapoH.s,  Minn.,  22  Aug.,  1877. 

John*  (Benjamin^),  b.  in  Canterbury ;  moved  to  B.  with  his  par- 
ents in  the  spring  of  1824  ;  m.  Maria  H.  I'hillips,  of 
Kupert,  Vt.,  21  May,  1846. 
Clara  Maria,  b.  20  ]March,  1848;  m.  A.  R.  Ayres,  4  June,  1873; 
chilJren, — Ruth  Ames  and  John  Kimball.     [See  Biog.] 
Benjamin  Ames*  (Benjamin*^),  b.  in  B.,  22  Aug.,  1833;  m.  Myra 
Tilton,  dau.  of  Ira  Elliott,  19  Jan.,  1861. 
Henry  Ames,  b.  19  Oct.,  18(34.     [See  Biog.] 

John  P.*  (John^),  b.  in  B.  ;  m.  ]\Iary  Eliza,  dau.  of  Samuel  Hill, 
3  June,  1852 ;   settled  in  Canterbury. 
George  E.,  b.  23  Sept.,  1856  ;  d.  16  May,  1863. 
^-Jf-' lb.  13  May,  1859. 
Georgiana,  b.  19  Oct.,  1867. 

William  Smith*  (William  M.-''),  b.  in  B.  ;  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  Lawrence,  Mass.,  Prof.  Hildreth's  acad- 
emy. Derry,  and  at  the  Rensselaer  Pol3'technic  Insti- 
tut'ej  Troy,  N.  Y.  ;  studied  to  become  a  mechanical 
engineer ;  m.  Marion,  dau.  of  Eufus  Keeler,  of  Roch- 
ester, N.  Y.,  7  Oct.,  1858,  where  he  settled.  During  the 
war,  1862  and  1863,  was  in  charge  of  the  U.  S.  Naval 
machine  shops  at  Port  Royal,  S.  C.  He  has  become, 
by  his  enterprise,  prudence,  and  industry,  one  of  the 
most  successful  manufacturers  in  the  city  of  Roches- 
ter. 
Charles  Harold,  b.  5  March,  1801. 
Margaret  Keeler,  b.  25  March,  1864;  d.  25  Aug.,  1864. 


GENEALOGICAL — KIMBALL.  569 

KIMBALL. 

Eichakd/  at  tlie  age  of  thirty-nine,  with  his  wife  Ursula,  came 
to  America  in  the  ship  "Elizabeth;"  embarked  at  Ip- 
swich, 10  April,  1G34,  with  Henry,  15,  EUzaheth^  13, 
lUchard,  11,  3Iary,  9,  Martha,  5,  John,  3,  Tho^nas, 
1.  Settled  in  Watertown,  Mass. ;  moved  to  Ipswich, 
1637.     The  B.  family  is  descended  from 

Henry,^  the  oldest  child,  who  lived  at  Ipswich,  and  had  a  son, — 

KiCHARD,^  wlio  was  b.  at  Ipswich,  1648  ;  moved  to '  Bradford ; 
was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  that  town  ;  m.  Sarah 
Shefford,  supposed  his  second  wife,  Sept.,  1682.  He 
had  a  son, — 

Joseph,*  b.  29  Dec.  1701  ;  m.  Abigail  Peabody;  lived  at  Brad- 
ford. 

Peter,^  Capt.  (Joseph,*  Richard,^  Henry,"^  Richard^),  b.  1  Sept., 
1739  ;  m.  Elizabeth  Thurston  ;  resided  a  short  time 
in  Haverhill;  moved  to  B.,  1765.     [See  Biog.] 

Hannah,  b.  at  Haverliill,  2  Aug.,  1763. 

Molly'h.  30  Aug.,  1705  ;  m.  Isaac  Chandler;  d.  21  Jan.,  1847. 

Joseph,  b.  -24  Nov.,  17G7. 

Judllh,  b.  23  Nov.,  1709;  d.  7  Oct.,  1850. 

Belli/,  b.    24:  April,  1772;  m.  Samuel  Choate,  of  B. 

Ahluli,  b.  20  Jlay,  1774;  m.  Theodore  Atkinson;  d.  July,  1859. 

Frances,  b.  9  Aug.,  1776;  m.  Rev.  Moses  Sawyer. 

Sally,  b.  31  Dec,  1778;  m.  Solomon  ]\Lartiu. 

Priscilla,  b.  7  Aug.,  1781;  m.  John  Chandler;  d.  March,  1868. 

Benjamin  Thurslon,  b.  4  May,  1784;  d.  2  July,  1852. 

Joseph*^  (Peter,^  Capt.),  b.  24  Xov.,  1767;  m.,  1st,  Eunice  Atkin- 
son ;  2d,  Polly  Fisher,  of  Newport ;  moved  to  New- 
port ;  was  one  of  the  leading  singers  of  B.  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  century ;  d.  at  Newport,  1848. 
Children  of  Eunice  : 

Peler,  b.  5  March,  1793  ;  became  a  minister;  preached  in  the  West; 

m.  Mary  Wilcox,  of  Newport. 
Betsey,  b.  1  Sept.,  1796;  m.  Charles  Comstock,  of  Newport. 
MllUm,  b.  20  Feb.,  1799  ;  minister  at  Augusta,  lib  ;  d.  in  1865. 
Phila,  b.  10  June,  1801;  m. Blanchard;  d.  at  Rochester,  N.  Y., 

June,  1877. 

Children  of  Polly  : 
Jesse  W.,  b.  16  June,  1805;  m.  Emily  Cotton,  of  Claremoiit ;  d.  at 
Galesburg,  111.,  Aug.,  1877. 

Eunice,  b.  20  Dec,  1807;  m.  GrifEu,  of  Galesburg,  111. 

Solon,  b.  6  Oct.,  1809. 
Sophonia,  b.  12  Dec,  1811;  d.  young. 

Lycurgus,  b.  14  April,  1814;  became  a  minister;  d.  at  Galesburg, 
111. 


570  GENEALOGICAL KIMBALL. 

Benjamin  T.*'  (Peter,^  Capt.),  b.  4  March,  1784 ;  m.,  Ist,  Maiy, 
dau.  of  Dea.  Eliphalet  Kilburn  ;  2d,  Sally,  lier  sister. 
[See  Biog.] 

Ablah,  b.  6  Oct.,  1806;  d.  IS  Oct.,  182.3. 

Roxy  Ann^  h.  22  Dec,  1809;  ni.  Calvin  Craue;  lives  in  Portland. 

David  Flanders,  b.  24  Dec,  1811. 

Peter,  h.  25  March,  1817. 

Caroline,  b.  30  Oct.,  1819;  m.  JNIoses  K.  Sawyer,  who  d.  in  Port- 
land, Jan.,  1875. 

Austin  George,  h.  24  Feb.,  1821. 

David  F.'^  (Benjamin  T.«)  m.,  1st,  Mary  P.,  dau.  of  Enoch  Kil- 
burn ;  2d,  Mrs.  Emily  Burke,  dau.  of  Geo.  T.  Pills- 
bury.     [See  Biog.] 

Benjamin  Rush,  b.  29  July,  1838;  m.  Carrie  F.  Jackman  ;  lives  in 
Blooniins;ton,  111. 

^nn,  b.  22  Feb.,  ^1811. 

Peter  W.,  b.  11  Dec,  1812;  d.  11  April,  1860. 

Livonia  Coffin,  b.  18  Nov.,  1814. 

PetepJ  (Benjamin  T.''),  b.  25  March,  1817 ;  m.  Nancy  A.  Adams, 
of  Grafton.     [See  Biog.J 
Mary  A.^  h.  6  June,  1852. 
Cyrus  A.,  b.  30  April,  1855;  d.  20  Aug.,  1856. 
Carrie  A.,  h.  8  Jan.,  1857. 
Cyrus  A.,  b.  April,  18t51. 
George  B.,  b.  28  Jan.,  1865. 
Harry  C,  h.  26  May,  1872;  d.  26  Jan.,  1876. 

Austin  Geokge"  (Benjamin  T.«),b.  24  Feb.,  1821;  m.  Ellen,  dau. 
of  Isaac  Hale,  of  Franklin. 

Mary  E.,h.  8  July,  1846;  m.  Thomas  M.  Lang,  of  B.,  1869. 
Ella  G.,  b.  5  Sept.,  1818;  m.  George  jNIorse,  of  Fisherville,  1871. 
George  E.,  b.  26  July,  1850 ;  m.  Mary  E.  Nelson,  of  Fisherville, 

1871. 
Emma  J.,  b.  28  Jane,  1851. 
Hannah  S.,  b.  12  March,  1858. 
Peter  W.,  b.  29  Dec,  1860. 
Willie  H,  b.  29  March,  18G7. 


GENEALOGICAL LANG,  571 

LANG. 

Compiled  by  Jolin  Kimball. 

Stephen^  resided  in  Loudon ;  m.  Abigail,  dau.  of  Hon.  Mesliech 
Weare,*  of  Hampton  Falls. 

Samuel  Weake-  (Stephen^),  b.  26  May,  1784;  settled  in  East 
Concord,  and  was  employed  in  the  store  of  Stephen 
Ambrose  till  he  was  twenty-one  years  old ;  moved  to 
]>.  in  1805,  and  associated  himself  in  business  with 
Joel  French  in  the  sale  of  goods,  in  a  building  now 
standing  opposite  the  meeting-house  on  the  plain ;  m. 
Mar}'^.  dau.  of  Jonathan  Eastman,  sen.,  of  Concord,  9 
jMay,  1809.  He  was  frequently  elected  to  fill  the  va- 
rious offices  in  town,  and  held  that  of  town-clerk  until 
his  death,  26  April,  1816. 

Esther  Johnson,  h.  12  May,  1810;  m.  Robert  E.  Pecker,  6  May, 
1832;  d.  9  April,  1817. 

Jonathan  Eastman,  b.  27  Aug.,  1811 ;  m.  Sophia  M.,  dau.  of  Jere- 
miah Tilton,  29  Oct.,  1838;  d.  17  Oct.,  1876. 

William,  b.  1  Nov.,  1812  ;  d.  in  infancy. 

Mary  Chandler,  b.  27  June,  1816;  m.  Charles  H.  Clough,24  Sept., 
1840. 

*3Iesl)ech  Weave  was  bom  ill  Hamptoa  Falls,  16  June,  1713.  "He  was  an  active 
leader  of  the  friends  of  liberty,  and  his  name  is  associated  with  the  most  important 
transactions  in  New  Hampshire  through  the  whole  of  the  Revolutionary  war  and  the 
period  of  the  formation  of  the  general  and  state  governments.  He  held  almost  every 
important  position  in  the  state,  and  had  maintained  an  untarnished  reputation  in  all.'' 
He  was  in  the  public  service  forty-live  years;  died  15  Jan.,  1786. 

37 


572  GENEALOGICAL LITTLE. 

LITTLE. 

Compiletl  by  Alfred  Little. 

Geokge,^  a  resident  of  Unicorn  st.,  London,  by  occupation  a 
tailor,  came  to  Newbury,  Mass.,  in  1640.  He  seems 
to  have  been  a  man  of  enterprise  and  good  judgment, 
and  soon  acquired  some  of  the  most  productive  land 
in  that  town,  of  which  a  large  part  has  ever  since 
been  owned  and  occupied  by  his  lineal  descendants. 
He  also  bought  land  at  Saco,  Me.,  at  Stonington  and 
Quinnebaug,  Conn.  ;  also  in  N.  H.  and  N.  J.  The 
site  of  his  last  house,  built  in  1679  or  1680,  is  now 
marked  by  the  residence  of  Dea.  Joseph  Little,  at 
Newbury.  He  was  a  Christian  man  and  good  citizen  ; 
d.  between  15  March,  1693,  and  27  Nov.,  1604 ;  m., 
1st,  Alice  Poore,  of  Newl)ury.  She,  at  the  age  of  20, 
with  her  brothers  Samuel  and  Daniel,  came  to  that 
place  with  Mr.  Stephen  Dummer,  on  his  second  voj'- 
age  to  N.  E.,  in  tlie  "  Bevis,"  Capt.  Eobert  Batten, 
which  sailed  from  Southampton,  England,  IMay,  1638. 
She  d.  1  Dec,  1680,  aged  62.  He  m.,  2d,  Eleanor, 
widow  of  Thomas  Barnard,  of  Amesbury,  JMass.,  19 
July,  1681,  who  d.  27  Nov.,  1694. 

Children  of  Alice  : 

Sarah,  b.  8  May,  1652;  d.  19  Nov.,  same  year. 

Joseph,  Capt.,  b.  22  Sept.,  1653;  d.  6  Sept.,  1740;  m.  Mary,  dan. 
of  Tristram  CotBn,  Esq.,  of  Newbury,  Mass.,  31  Oct., 
1677. 

John,  b.  28  July,  16.55;  d.  20  July,  1072. 

Mose.^,  b.  11  March,  1657;  d.  8  March,  1691. 

Sarah,  b.  24  Nov.,  1661  ;  m.  Joseph  llsley  of  Newbury,  3  March, 
1682. 
MosES^  (G-eorge^)  lived  on  the  homestead  at  Newbury.  His  es- 
tate was  returned  to  probate  court,  3  Nov.,  1691,  as 
amounting  to  £1065.6  ;  m.  Lydia,  dau.  of  Tristram 
Coffin,  Esq.,  of  Newbury. 

John,  b.  8  Jan.,  1680;  d.  25  March,  1753. 

Trhtram,  b.  9  Dec,  1681;  d.  11  Nov.,  1765. 

5aro/i,  b.  28  April,  1684;  d.   10  Dec,  1710;  m.  Thomas   Pil^e,  3 

Jan.,  1710. 
3fary,  b.  13  Jan.,  1686;  m.  Col.  Joseph  Gerrish,  of  Newbury;  date 

of  marriage  pviblishment,  26  Feb.,  1703-4. 
Elizabeth,  h.  25  May,  1688  ;  d.  17  March,  1719;  ra.  Anthony  Morse, 

21  Jan.,  1718. 
Moses,  b.  26  Feb.,  1691;  d.  17   Oct.,  1780;  m.   Sarah  Jaques,  12 

Feb.,  1716. 


GENEALOGICAL — LITTLE.  573 

Tristram^  (Moses,-  George^)  was  a  farmer.  Tlie  house  which 
he  erected  on  the  paternal  estate  still  stands,  and  is 
now  the  residence  of  William  Little,  Esq.,  town-clerk 
of  Newhury ;  m.  Sarah,  dan.  of  Henry  Dole,  of  New- 
bury, Mass.,  30  Oct.,  1707,  who  was  h.  12  Feb.,  1689. 

Sarah,  b.  6  Aug.,  1708;  m.  James  Noyes,  30  May,  1729;  lived  in 

Atkinson. 
Henri/,  b.  31  Dec,  1710;  m.  Lydia  Little,  7  Dec,  1738;  d.  Dec, 

1786. 
Samuel,h.  18  Feb.,  1713;  d.   29   Sept.,    1792;  m.  Dorothy  Noyes, 

18  Feb.,  1736  ;  lived  in  Atkinson. 
Appliia,  baptized  1715;  d.  1.5  Feb.,  1713. 
Jane   b.  0  June,  1718;  m.  Eduuind  Knight,  25  May,  1741. 
Elizabeth,   b.  20  Nov.,   1720;    d.    15    April,   1818;  m.   Humphrey 

Noyes,  22  Nov.,  1743;  lived  in  Atkinson. 
Nathaniel,  b-  24  May,  1723;  d.  before  Louisburg,  C.  B.,  13  Nov., 

1745. 
llichanlh.  6  June,  1725;  d.   13  Feb.,  1806;  m.   Jaue  Noyes,  17 

Sept.,  1754. 
Enoch,  b.  21  May,  1728;  d.  at  R.,  21  Oct.,  1816. 
3Iary,  b.  4  Feb.,  1731 ;  d.  young. 
John,h.  14  July,  1735;  d.  25  Aug.,  1800;  m.  Hannah  Noyes,  27 

Oct.,  1767.* 

E^'OCH■*  (Tristram,^  ]\Ioses,-  George^)  lived  near  the  "Upper 
Green,"  at  Newbury,  Mass.,  where  liis  first  seven 
cliildren  were  born ;  removed  to  Hampstead  in  April, 
1766,  and  to  B.  in  April,  1774.  At  the  age  of  11 
years,  while  listening  to  the  preaching  of  Whitefield 
in  Newbnryport,  he  became  a  Christian,  and  united 
with  the  Old  South  church  in  that  place,  7  Aug.,  1773, 
while  living  at  Hampstead.  After  his  removal  to  B., 
until  enfeebled  by  age,  he  went  to  Newbnryport  every 
year  (over  60  miles)  to  be  present  at  the  August  com- 
munion. He  m.,  1st,  Sarah  Pettengill,  of  Newbury, 
Mass.,  19  Feb.,  1755,  who  was  b.  6  Sept.,  173:1, 
and  d.  10  March,  1758  ;  2d,  Hannah  Hovey,  of  New- 
bur}^,  Mass.,  5  June,  1759,  who  was  b.  27  Feb.,  1734, 
and  d.  15  March,  1801.  [See  Biog.] 
Children  of  Sarah  : 

Friend,  b.  19  Jan.,  1756;  d.  19  Nov.,  1836. 

Mary,  b.  19  Sept.,  1757;  d.  25  July,  18o7 ;  m.  David  Burbank,  of 
B.,  20  April,  1778. 

Children  of  Hannah : 
Benjamin,  b.  13  April,  1760;  d.  30  Aug.,  1846. 
Joseph,  b.  30  May,  1761;  d.  26  March,  1843. 

*In  giving  tlie  families  of  Geoege.i  Moses,^  and  Tristkaji,-'  tlie  compiler  ia 
greatly  indebted  to  the  "Geuealogy  of  tlie  Little  Family,"  by  George  T.  Little,  pub- 
lished ill  1877. 


574  GENEALOGICAL LITTLE. 

Enoch,  b.  17  Jan.,  1708;  d.  31  March,  1848. 

Hannah,  b.  3  Sept.,  17G4  ;  d.  17  Oct.,  1764. 

Noah,  b.  1  Nov.,  1765  ;  d.  in  Cass  county,  Mich.,  14  Aug.,  1837. 

Jesse,  b.  30  July,  1767;  d.  19  Aug.,  1840. 

Phehe,  b.  19  Feb.,  1769;  d.  7  June,  1769. 

Sarah  llsley,h.  2i)  April,  1770;  d.  10  Dec,  1836;  m.  Moses  Ger- 

rish,  of  B. 
John  H.,  b.  12  March,  1772;  d.  29  Au<?.,  1773. 
Hannah,  b.  10  April,  1775;  d.  4  Nov.,  18 11;  m.  Moses  Coffin,  of  B., 

25  Dec,   1792,  who  was   b.   at  Newbury,  Mass.,  9  Sept., 

17G7,  and  d.  at  Salisbury,  3  Feb.,  1843. 

Fkiend^  (Enoch,*  Tristram^)  lived  on  Little  hill,  then  at  Bashan, 
in  B.  ;  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution  ;  was  at  the  battle 
of  Bennington  ;  brought  the  first  apple-trees  to  Little 
hill;  m.  Mary  Couch,  G  Feb.,  1781. 

Sa7nuel,  b.  7  Dec,  1781;  d.  24  Aug.,  1840. 

Moses,  h.  0  Nov.,  1783;  d.  5  June,  1871. 

Salli/,  b.  12  Sept.,  1785;  d.  4  Aug.,  1869;  m.  Wni.  Couch,  of  Hop- 
kinton,  12  May,  1836. 

Joseph,  h.  1  Aug.,  1787  ;  d.  28   Oct.,  1847. 

Judith,  b.  4  April,  1789;  d.  29  April,  1858;  m.  Stephen  Sweatt,  of 
B.,  1  March,  1814,  who  d.  at  Pittsfield,  11  Dec,  1851. 

Mary,  b.  19  Sept.,  1791;  d.  26  Nov.,  1869. 

Hannah,  h.  24  April,  1798;  ni.  i\.sa  Kimball,  of  Ilopkinton,  30 
Dec,  1819. 

Benjamin,^  Capt.  (Enoch,*  Tristram^),  lived  on  the  homestead  ; 
at  the  age  of  17  was  a  soldier  in  the  battle  of  Ben- 
nington He  was  a  man  of  sound  judgment,  and  pos- 
sessed in  a  high  degree  the  confidence  of  his  fellow- 
citizens,  being  chosen  selectman  eight  years,  and 
representative  four  years ;  was  the  fifth  man  in  town 
to  receive  a  magistrate's  commission.  Married,  1st, 
Rhoda  Bartlett,  of  Warner,  25  Nov.,  1790,  who  was 
b.  13  April,  1768,  and  d.  27  Aug.,  1814.  She  was 
niece  of  Dr.  Josiah  Bartlett,  of  Kingston,  a  signer  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  first  governor 
of  N.  H.  nnder  its  free  constitution.  Married,  2d, 
Persis  Herbert,  of  Concord,  5  March,  1816. 

Children  of  Ehoda  : 
Richard,  b.  27  Nov..  1791;  d.  29  Oct..  1840. 
John,  b.  30  June,  1794;  d.  17  Jan..  1797. 
Simeon  Bartlett,  b.  16  Dec,  1797;  d.  29  Dec,  1874. 
Rhoda,  b.  14  April,  1801;  d.  at  Windham,  15  Aug.,  1852;  m.  Rev._ 

Calvin  Cutler,  3  June,  1824,  who  was  a  beloved  pastor  of 

the    Presbyterian   church    at  "Windham   for  many  years. 

Carrol  Cutler,  president  of  "Western  Reserve  college,  is 

their  son. 
Charles  Herbert,  Rev.,  b.   5  Dec,   1804;  d.  1  Jan.,   1836.     [See 

Biog.] 


GENEALOGICAL LITTLE.  575 

Joseph,^  Lieut.  (Enocli,*  Tristram^),  lived  on  Little  hill;  was  a 
soldier  of  the  Revolution ;  enlisted  on  his  seventeenth 
birthday  in  Capt.  Spnrr's  company,  Col.  Nixon's  regi- 
ment, Mass.  Line ;  served  nine  months ;  also  two 
other  terms  of  two  months  each ;  was  with  Washing- 
ton at  White  Plains ;  was  stationed  at  West  Point  at 
the  time  of  Arnold's  treason,  and  saw  Andre  led  to 
execution.  Married  Anna,  dan.  of  Rev.  Robie  and 
Elizabetli  Morrill,  of  B.,  30  Nov.,  1784,  who  was  b.  20 
Oct.,  1763,  and  d.  17  Nov.,  1839. 

Elba,  b.  7  April,  1787;  d.  17  Feb.,  1835. 

Phebe,  b.  26  Jan.,  1789;  d.  8  Dec,  18.¥),  at  Rochester,  N.  Y. 

Jane,  b.  23  Aug.,  1791;  d.   21   Feb.,   1836,  at  Jerseyville,  111.  ;  m. 

Rev.  Amos  P.  Brown,  of  Campton,  11  Feb.,  1817,  who  was 

afterwards  missionary  in  the  VVest  for  many  years,  and  d. 

at  Riishville.  111..  16  April,  1859,  aged  67. 
Jeremiah,  b.  1  Sept.,  1794;  d.  5  April,  1853,  at  Rochester.  N.  Y. 
Sarah,  h.  18  April,  1800;  d.  30  Sept.,  18.56,  at  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
Caroline,  b.  8  June,  1803  ;  resides  with  her  nephew.  Rev.  John  M. 

Brown,  at  Highland,  Doniphan  county,  Kansas. 

Enoch,^  Dea.  (Enoch,"  Tristram^),  lived  on  Little  hill ;  m.  Polly, 
dau.  of  Capt.  James  Noyes,  of  Atkinson,  30  Nov, 
1790,  who  was  b.  15  March,  1771,  and  d.  14  July, 
1833.     [See  Biog.] 

Hennj,  b.  1  Jan.,  1792;  d.  29  April,  1838,  at  Peoria,  III. 

Jane,  b.  1  June,  1796;  d.  27  Oct.,  1796. 

Poll}/,  b.  11  Nov.,  1797;  d.  3  Feb.,  1820. 

Jane,  h.  2  Feb.,  1800  ;  d.  9  April,  1877  ;  m.  Dea.  Jeremiah  Gerrish, 

of  B.,  8  March,  1821. 
Enoch,  b.  8  Nov.,  1802;  d.  13  Oct.,  1875. 
James,  b.  3  Aug.,  1804  ;  d.  8  Sept.,  1836  ;  m.  Mary  Gerrish,  of  B., 

15  Dec,  1829;  removed  to  New  Buffalo,  Mich.,  in  1835. 

NoAH^  (Enoch,*  Tristram^)  lived  in  B.  for  a  time,  then  at  the 
"  Gore,"  in  Warner ;  was  a  man  of  observation  and 
intelligence ;  travelled  extensively  through  various 
states  of  the  Union  ;  m.  Ascenath  Elliot,  of  B.,  who 
d.  8  June,  1808,  aged  41. 

John,  b.  in  B.  19  March,  1788  ;  d.  11  Sept.,  1832. 

Elsey,  b.  9  Oct.,  1789;  m.  Samuel  Wells,  of  Warner;  lived  there, 
also  at  Lisbon,  where  she  d.  about  1830. 

Silas,  h.  29  Jan.,  1791  ;  settled  at  Cleveland,  O.:  d.  22  May,  1821; 
ni.  Adelia  Doan,  who  d.  in  1820;  had  four  children,  who 
d.  young. 

Enoch,h.  11  Sept.,  1796;  d.  about  1824;  was  a  hatter;  removed 
to  the  state  of  N.  Y. ;  m.  and  had  one  child,  who  d.  in 
infancy. 

Laura,  b.  23  June,  1799;  d.  25  Aug.,  1838. 

David,  b.  11  Oct.,  1801 ;  d.  13  May,  1875,  in  Adams  county,  Iowa. 


576  GENEALOGICAL — LITTLE. 

Hannah  Lucia,  b.  25  Aug.,  1803;  d.   1  March,  184:6 ;  m.  Joseph 

Story,  0  April,  1826  ;  Hved  at  Bashan. 
Harriet,  b.  25  May,  1806;  m.  Richard  Webber,  of  B.,  24  ^sTov., 

1829;  who  d.  11  March,  1835,  aged  30. 

Jesse'^  (Enoch,*  Tristram^)  built  and  resided  in  the  house  on  Lit- 
tle hill  now  owned  by  Hiram  Clifford ;  was  a  consist- 
ent Christian  and  good  citizen,  beloved  and  respected 
by  all ;  was  a  good  thinker,  and  his  mind  was  a  store- 
house of  useful  and  entertaining  information.  He  m. 
Martha,  dau.  of  Col.  Henry  Gerrish,  of  B.,  who  was  b. 
14  May,  1777,  and  d.  at  New  Buffalo,  Mich.,  28 
Aug.,  1855. 

Jacol),  b.  1  May,  1795;  d.  at  Wabash,  Ind.,  17  Dec,  187G. 

John,  b.  25  Nov.,  1796;  d.  15  Feb.,  1829. 

Sumn,\).  23  March,  1798;  m.,  1st,  Henry  Little,  of  B..  7  Dec. 
1815;  2d,  Dea.  Timothy  M.  Rose,  of  Granville,  O.,  28 
April,  1858. 

Henry,  b.  23  March,  1800. 

Thomas,  b.  2  Jan.,  1802;  d.  at  West  Creek,  Ind.,  19  Aug.,  1877. 

Martha,  b.  2  June,  1803;  m.  Dea.  Joseph  Pillsbury,  of  B.,  19  May, 
1825. 

Leavitt  C,  b.  24  Feb.,  1805;  d.  at  Buffiilo,  N.  Y.,  23  March,  1S5L 

Infant  son.b.  13  and  d.  15  March,  1807. 

Emma,  b.  1  May,  1808;  d.  in  Belpre.  O.,  11  Aug.,  1830;  m.  Addi- 
son Kingsbury,  d.  d.,  of  North  Coventry,  Ct.,  27  April, 
1830. 

Sarah  G.,  b.  7  Aug.,  1810;  in.  Rev.  Ilervey  O.  Higley,  of  Castle- 
ton,  Vt.,  29  Sept.,  1829.  who  was  b.  14  July,  1801,  and 
d.  4  April,  1878.  Prof.  E.  H.  Iligley,  of  Middlebury  col- 
lege, is  their  son. 

Samuel^  (Friend,^  Enoch*)  was  a  surveyor;  justice  of  the  peace ; 
succeeded  Dea.  Enoch  Little,  Sen.,  as  chorister,  and 
led  the  choir  at  West  B.  20  years ;  m.  Sally  Couch,  of 
B.,  23  June,  1811,  who  d.  7  June,  1852. 

Hiram  C,  b.  19  Feb.,  1813;  d.  4  Dec,  1869. 

Rhoda  B.,  b.  16  July,  1815  ;  d.  21  July,  1822. 

Samuelh.  29  Nov.,  1817. 

Sarah  P.,  b.  2  June,  1820  ;  m.  Jonathan  K.  Pillsbury.  21  Nov., 
1850. 

Joseph  C,  b.  21  April,  1822  ;  d.  29  Dec.  1850. 

Mary,  b.  8  Aug.,  1826  ;  d.  21  June,  1853;  ni.  Albe  Cady  Sweatt, 
of  B.,  17  May,  1849. 

Enoch  C  b.  16  July,  1829;  d.  in  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  16  Jan., 
1870. 

MoSES^  (Eriend,^  Enoch*)  was  a  farmer;  resided  for  a  time  at  B., 
and  d.  there  ;  m.  Sally  Call,  of  Warner,  15  Jan.,  1818, 
who  was  b.  24  July,  1787,  and  cl.  28  Sept.,  1866. 

Mary  C,  b.  at  B.,  9  Dec,  1819 ;  d.  3  Oct.,  1851;  m.  Capt.  Hiram 
Scribner,  of  Salisbury,  14  Nov.,  1849. 

Moses  C,  b.  11  June,  1824. 


<c/y^ 


Q/yflyt^'^T-^^^/'^ 


^C'x^tX^- 


GENEALOGICAL — LITTLE.  67T 

Joseph^  (Friend,^  Enocli^)  lived  on  the  homestead  at  Bashan  ; 
was  a  farmer ;  m.  Sarah  Burns  Seavy,  of  Milford  (a 
second  cousin  of  Robert  Burns,  the  Scottish  poet),  12 
March,  1812,  wlio  was  b.  28  Jan.,  1786,  and  d.  22 
June,  1869. 

AdaUne  T.,  b.  19  Jan.,  1813;  m.  William  Trussell,  of  B.,  27  June, 

1850. 
Man/  S.,  b.  6  and  d.  23  Feb.,  1811. 
JosJi'ua  P.,  b.  31  May,  1815;  d.  lU  April,  1818. 
Joshua  P.,b.  23  June,  1819;  d.  20  Nov.,  1850. 
Charks  B.,  b.  26  June,  1822. 

Richard,^  Capt.  (Benjamin,^  Capt.,  Enoch*),  resided  on  Little 
hill;  an  officer  in  the  war  of  1812;  was  stationed  at 
Portsmouth  in  1814.  He  was  a  man  of  few  words, 
but  of  clear  thoughts  and  decided  convictions ;  was  a 
faithful  friend,  a  valuable  citizen,  and  a  consistent 
Christian  man.  Married,  1st,  Priscilla  Plumer,  of  B., 
7  Dec,  1815 ;  2d,  Mary  C.  Pillsbury,  of  B.,  22  May, 
1827. 
Children  of  Priscilla : 

Rlioda  £.,  b.  9  Dec,  1810;  m.  Rev.  John  Gerrish,  of  St.  Armand, 
L.  C,  11  Jan.,  1837. 

Bitfield  Plumer,  b.  15  Auo;..  1818;  d.  at  Brandy  Camp,  Elk  county, 
Pa.,  2  May,  1863.' 

Ephrabn,  b.  11  Api'il,  1820  ;  lived  on  Pleasant  st.  ;  present  resi- 
dence near  tlie  Blackwater,  on  the  farm  formerly  owned 
by  Nathan  Pearson,  in  Webster;  ra.  Jane  (b-ey,  youngest 
dan.  of  Col.  John  Farmer,  of  B.,  22  Dec,  1817,  who  was 
b.  7  June,  1828,  and  d.  27  June,  1867. 

Lurana  C,  b.  30  June,  1822;  d.  15  Nov.,  1813. 

Charles,  b.  13  Jan.,  1825;  d.  9  Oct.,  1835. 

Children  of  Mary : 

Calvin,  h.  29  Feb.,  1828;  resides  on  the  homestead.  Though  only 
12  years  of  age  at  his  father's  decease,  after  the  first  year 
he  took  charge  of  the  farm  and  managed  it  with  succe.ss, 
greatly  assisting  his  younger  brothers  and  sisters  in  ac- 
quiring an  education,  and  getting  a  start  in  life. 

Levi,  b.  18  July,  1830. 

Horace,  b.  17  Sept.,  1832. 

Emihj,  b.  10  Jan.,  1835 ;  d.  3  Dec,  1817. 

Charles,  b.  U  Feb.,  1837;  d.  16  Nov.,  18G9  ;  was  a  physician  at 
Acton,  Mass.,  and  there  m.  Helen  E.,  dau.  of  Harris  Cow- 
drey,  M.  D.,  11  June,  1866.     [See  Biog.] 

Priscilla,  b.  30  Jan.,  1839;  grad.  at  Mt.  llolyoke  Seni. ;  has  been  a 
successful  teacher  in  N.  E.  and  Pa. 

SiMEOX  B.,*'  Esq.  (Benjamin,'^  Capt.,  Enoch*),  lived  on  the  home- 
stead, then  on  Corser  hill,  in  Webster  ;  ra.,  1st,  Har- 
riet Boyd,  of  Antrim,  16  Sept.,  1824,  who  was  b.  17 


578  GENEALOGICAL — LITTLE. 

Sept.,  1798,  and  d.  3  Oct.,  1850 ;  2d,  Phebe  Kilburn, 
of  B.,  20  Oct.,  1851.     [See  Biog.] 

Children  of  Harriet  : 
George,  b.  23  Aug.,  1825. 
Alice,  b.  30  Dec,  1829  ;  d.  31  Oct.,  1835. 
Narcissa^h.  25  Dec,  1831;  d.  8  Feb.,  1832. 
Eveline,  b.  13  Dec,  1832. 
Sherman,  b.  6  Feb.,  1835. 


t'S;  }^-24May,1837;  \  ,   ,9  j^,^^  .g^g. 


Jeremiah^  (Joseph,^  Lieut.,  Enoch^)  lived  in  B. ;  was  a  merchant 
on  Corser  hill  for  several  years  ;  removed  to  Roches- 
ter, N.  Y.,  in  Sept.,  1830  ;  m.  Elizabeth,  dan.  of  Capt. 
Joshua  Pillsbury,  of  B.,  5  March,  1816. 

Joshua  P.,  b.  19  ISTov.,  1817;  d.  5  Feb.,  1840;  learned  the  printers' 
trade  in  Concord,  and  worked  as  journeyman  in  the  States- 
man  office. 

Hexry^  (Enoch,^  Dea.,  Enoch*)  resided  on  the  farm  now  owned 
by  Capt.  William  D.  George ;  built  the  liouse  after- 
wards occupied  by  Enoch  Kilburn  and  John  Shaw, 
which  was  burned  10  Nov.,  1856 ;  was  a  farmer,  sur- 
veyor, and  owned  the  saw-mill  situated  on  the  Knight 
meadow  brooh ;  was  a  school-teacher  for  several  years, 
before  and  after  marriage,  in  various  towns  in  IST.  H. 
and  Mass. ;  excelled  as  a  player  on  the  bass-viol ;  was 
the  first  president  of  the  Martin  Luther  Musical  Soci- 
ety, and  its  secretary  for  many  years  ;  removed  West 
in  Sept.,  1835,  and  settled  in  Peoria,  111.,  May,  1836; 
was  a  genial,  kind,  and  Christian  gentleman ;  m.  Su- 
san, dau.  of  Jesse  Little,  of  B.,  7  Dec,  1815. 

Albert  Gerrish,  b.  27  Sept.,  1817. 

Polly,  b.  7  May,  1820  ;  d.  6  March,  1821. 

Alfred,  b.  3  June,  1823.     [See  Biocr.] 

Emma  Kingsbury,  h.  27  Sept.,  1830;  grad.  at  Granville  Female 
college,  O.,  in  1818  ;  a  faithful  and  succef5sful  music 
teaclier;  m.  Rev.  Joseph  Little  (son  of  Jacob  Little,  d.  d.) 
15  Aug.,  1854. 
Enoch,^  Dea.  (Enoch,^  Dea.,  Enoch*),  lived  on  the  homestead; 
m.  Apphia  C,  dau.  of  Lieut.  Thomas  Coffin,  of  B.,  18 
Nov.,  1829.     [See  Biog.] 

Mary  Frances,  b.  28  Jan.,  1831  ;  d.  15  June,  1849. 

Ellen,  b.  27  Feb.,  1833;  d.  5  Oct.,  1870:  m.  Dea.  Francis  B.  Saw- 
yer, of  Salisbury,  11  Sept.,  1851,  who  was  b.  14  April, 
1823. 

Henry  Lyman,  b.  28  March,  1835 ;  d.  26  March,  1836. 

Louisa,  b.  1  Dec,  1836;  d.  19  April,  1866;  m.  Geo.  Little,  of  B., 
29  Nov.,  1855. 


GENEALOGICAL — LITTLE.  579 

JoHN^  (Noah,^  Enocli^)  settled  in  Sanbornton  ;  lived,  afterwards 
at  Plymouth  and  Meredith ;  m.  Nancy  Hoit,  of  San- 
bornton, who  was  b.  13  Ma}',  1797. 

Mary  A.  II.,  b.  5  March,  1S15 ;  m.  Ruel  West,  of  Concord,  9  March, 

185i. 
John  E.,  b.  11  March,  1817. 
Henry,  b.  28  April,  1819. 

Harriet  TF.,  b.  IG  April,  1822;  d.  21  March,  1811. 
NoaKh.  31  May,  1821. 

Martha  J.,  b.  29  July,  1827;  d.  22  July,  1829. 
George  TF.,  b.  21  Feb.,  1830. 

David®  (Noah,^  Enoch*)  lived  in  Cleveland,  0.,  then  in  Cass  coun- 
ty, Mich.  ;  removed  thence  to  Minn.,  near  Blue  Earth 
City ;  m.  Mary  Hulbert,  of  Granville,  ().,  2  Aug., 
1825,  who  was  b.  in  Vt.,  13  Sept.,  1801,  and  d.  in 
Minn.,  25  Aug.,  1866. 

Jarne^,  b.  9  Oct.,  182(3  [1827?];  m.  Ruth  Pitts,  of  Elkhart,  Ind.; 
resides  in  Adams  county,  Iowa. 

Alonzo  G.,  b.  29  Marcii,  1829. 

Infant  son.,  b.  and  d.  in  1831. 

Eliza,}).  12  Sept.,  1832;  m.  Thomas  Fitzgerald,  11  Sept.,  1856; 
residence  near  Avondale,  Adams  county,  Iowa. 

Harriet,  b.  2  Oct..  1835  [183G?];  d.  1  April,  1857;  m.  James  Dob- 
son,  2  Feb.,  1851. 

Adaline,  b.  30  June,  1838  ;  m.  James  Dobson,  1  Dec,  18.59  [I860?]; 
resides  at  Winnebago  City,  Minn. 

Jacob,*'  d.  d.  (Jesse,^  Enoch*)  was  pastor  at  Granville,  Ohio,  37 
years  ;  m.,  1st,  Lucy,  dau.  of  Capt.  Joseph  Gerrish,  of 
Canterbury,  1  June,  1826  ;  2d,  Ann  D.,  dau.  of  Hon. 
T.  M.  Thompson,  of  Granville,  0.,  23  March,  1836. 
[See  Biog.] 
Children  of  Lucy  : 

Joseph,  Rev.,  b.  1  Nov.,  1828  ;  resides  at  Hanging  Rock,  O.;  grad. 
at  Western  Reserve  college  in  1852  ;  m.  Emma  K.  Little, 
at  Liverpool,  111.,  15  Aug.,  18.51*;  grad.  at  Lane  Theologi- 
cal Seminary,  10  May,  1860;  was  licensed  to  preach  13 
June,  1860,  at  Granville,  O.  He  engaged  in  the  Home 
]\Iissionary  and  Sabbath-school  work,  March,  1861,  in  the 
furnace  regions  of  Lawrence  county,  O.  ;  entered  the 
Union  army  19  Nov.,  1862,  as  chapbain  of  5th  Va.  Vol. 
Infantry;  subsequently  of  1st  West  Va.  Vol.  Veterans, 
and  continued  Wd  the  close  of  the  war  in  that  capacity,  till 
his  regiment  was  discharged  at  Wheeling,  W.  Va.  lu 
caring  for  the  wounded  and  thirsty  soldiers  on  the  battle- 
field, in  holding  meetings  and  schools  for  them  in  camp, 
or  in  leading  them  in  song  with  voice  and  melodeon,  he 
proved  himself  to  be  a  faitliful  and  efficient  chaplain. 

Alfred,  b.  3  Sept.,  1831;  d.  near  North  Berne,  Fairfield  county, 
O.,  21  May,  1865. 

George,  b.  8  Oct.,  1833;  d.  22  Sept.,  1831. 


580  GENEALOGICAL — LITTLE. 

Cliildren  of  Ann : 

Lucy  A.,  b.  27  Oct.,  1837;  d.  8  Sept.,  1838. 

George  A.,  b.  6  March,  1839. 

William  r.,  b.  27  Dec,  1810;  d.  9  Oct.,  18r)6. 

Lucy,  b.  29  Jan.,  1843;  crrad.  at  Granville  Female  college,  in 
18G2;  m.  James  II.,  son  of  Hon.  "William  Williams,  of 
Warsaw,  Ind.,  21  Dec,  1865;  resides  at  Washington, 
D.  C. 

Infent  son,  b.  21  and  d.  28  Nov.,  1811. 

Charles,  Rev.,  b.  1  Dec,  1815;  grad.  at  Marietta  college,  20  June, 
1867  ;  taught  in  public  schools  of  that  place  two  years;  grad. 
at  Lane  Theo.  Sem.  9  Mny,  1872;  licensed  by  Athens 
Presbytery,  July,  1871  ;  ordained  by  Muncie  Presbytery,  10 
April,  1878,  and  installed  same  year  over  the  Presby- 
terian church  in  Wabash,  Ind.,  of  which  he  is  now  pastor, 
m.  j^dyra  M.  Rico.  2  Sept.,  1873,  who  d.  1  June,  1871. 

Mariha  E.,  b.  23  Aug.,  1819;  d.  29  Dec,  1854. 

John*'  (Jesse,'''  Enoch'')  was  a  clothier ;  lived  in  Bristol ;  m. 
Miriam  Lovejoy,  of  Concord,  10  Sept.,  1824,  wlio  d. 
8  Dec,  1865,  aged  61. 

John  A.,  h.  21  May,  1826  ;  d.  31  Aug.,  1810. 

Emma  A.,  h.  5  June,  1828;  m.  -John  L.  Challis,  of  Mancliester,  27 
Oct.,  1852;  resides  in  Chicago. 
Henry/  d.  d  (Jesse, ^  Enocli^),  is  superintendent  of  missions  for 
the  state  of  Indiana;  resides  in  jNEadison ;  m.,  19  Sept., 
1831,  Susan  Norton  Smitli,  of  Hatfield,  Mass.,  who 
was  b.  22  May,  1810.     [See  Eiog.] 

Sarah  M.,  b.  19  April,  1833. 

Joseph  B.,  b.  25  Oct.,  1835. 

Henrij  S.,  h.  28  IMarch,  1837. 

George  O.,  h.  2  May,  1839. 

Mary  E.,  h.  6  Oct.,  1811;  grad.  at  the  Western  Female  Seminary, 
Oxford,  O.,  July,  1863;  m.  Joseph  E.,  son  of  Leverett 
Griggs,  I).  D.,  of  Bristol,  Ct.,  3    Jan.,  1807. 

Cornelia,  h.  10  Jan.,  1844;  grad.  at  the  Western  Female  Seminary, 
O.xford,  O.,  July,  1862;  m.  Rev.  Leverett  S..  son  of  Lev- 
erett Griggs,  T>.  I).,  of  Bristol,  Ct.,  13  July,  1861;  resides 
in  Terryville,  Ct. 

Elizabeth  F.,  b.  2  June,  1816. 

Charles  IL,  h.  20  Sept.,  1848. 

Thomas/  Capt.  (Jesse,^  Enocli*),  lived  on  the  homestead;  re- 
moved to  West  Creek,  Lak»  county,  Ind.,  in  1855  ;  m. 
Myra,  dau.  of  Capt.  Joseph  Ames,  of  B.,  2  June,  1829, 
wlio  d.  17  June,  1869.     [See  Biog.] 

Joseph  A.,  h.  21  May,  1830. 
Sarah  H.,  b.  29  Aug.,  1833;  d.  19  Feb.,  1874. 
Lucy  J.,  b.  30  March,  1837;  m.  Thomas  H.  Bouham,  of  Elizabeth- 
'  town,  O.,  2  Aug.,  1860. 


GENEALOGICAL LITTLE.  581 

Leavitt  C.,''  Col.  (Jesse,^  Enoch*),  first  commenced  business  with 
Philip  H.  Webster,  in  a  store  at  Danbury ;  afterwards 
established  himself  at  Cincinnati,  and  was  engaged  for 
several  years  in  selling  patent  scales  in  Ohio,  Ind., 
and  Ky.  In  1837  he  removed  to  Pa.,  and  became  res- 
iclent  agent  of  the  U.  S.  Land  Co.,  of  Boston,  for  a 
large  tract  of  land  situated  in  McKean  and  Elk  coun- 
ties, remaining  in  that  position  through  life.  The 
village  of  Bradford,  in  which  he  built  the  first  house, 
has  recently  become  one  of  the  principal  oil  cities  of 
Pa.  Col.  L.  took  a  prominent  part  in  organizing  the 
McKean  County  Agricultural  Society,  and  was  its 
first  president.  Foremost  in  every  good  word  and 
work,  in  the  church,  Sabbath-school,  and  as  a  citizen, 
he  will  long  be  remembered  with  gratitude  and  affec- 
tion. He  m.  Lucy  Jane,  Avidow  of  Philip  H.  Web- 
ster, and  dau.  of  Col.  Timothy  Dix,  of  B.,  30  June, 
1837. 

Ellen,  b.  6  ]\Iay,  1838;  m.  Emmctt  Mix,  of  Columbus,  O.,  9  March, 
1805. 

Join  S.,  b.  29  Dec,  1839. 

Susan,  b.  15  Ancr.,  1811;  m.  Rev.  Chas.  W.  Wallace,  of  Jackson- 
town,  O.,  23  Dec,  1863;  resides  in  Monroeville,  O. 

Sarah  G.,  b.  22  Sept.,  1843;  m.  Robert  Davis,  of  Mahomet,  111.,  14 
Sept.,  1876. 

Hiram  C'  (Samuel,Triend^)  lived  in  Webster;  m.  there  Nancy 
A.  Kilborn,  20  Nov.,  1856. 

Hiram  P.,  d.  6  Dec,  1861,  aged  4. 
Josrph  A.,  b.  15  Sept.,  1858. 
Mary  E.,  b.  11  May,  1860. 

Samuel'^  (Samuel, '^  Friend^)  is  a  farmer;  resides  in  Webster;  m. 
Jane  S.,  widow  of  Lewis  Sturtevant,  8  April,  1859. 
John  P.,  b.  2G  July,  1860. 

Enoch  C^  (Samuel,''  Friend^)  lived  at  Fisherville  ;  removed  to 
California,  Oct.,  1867  ;  m.,  1st,  Martha  J.  Sargent,  of 
Hopkinton,  24  Nov.,  1853,  who  d.  14  May,  1863 ;  2d, 
Betsey  J.  Jackman,  of  Franklin,  Nov.,  1864,  who  d. 
in  San  Francisco. 

Children  of  Martha  : 

Alia  Maria,  b.  17  March,  1855  ;  d.  29  June,  18C0. 
Addie  M.,  b.  12  Oct.,  1856;  resides  in  Franklin. 
Helen  E.,  b.  14  Sept.,  1859;  resides  in  Franklin. 

Child  of  Betsey  : 

Mahel,  b.  3  May,  1869;  d.  17  Jan.,  1870. 


582  GENEALOGICAL LITTLE, 

Moses  C  (Moses/  Erienc?)  resides  in  Louisiana,  Pike  county, 
Mo.  ;  received  an  academic  education.  In  the  autumn 
of  1844,  he  commenced  work  in  the  engineering  de- 
partment on  the  N.  R.  R.,  remaining  there  titl  its 
completion ;  was  next  employed  in  a  survey  of  the 
Vt.  Central  R.  R.  ;  went  to  Mo.,  March,  1850,  and 
commenced  engineering  for  the  county  of  St.  Louis, 
having  charge  of  the  new  system  of  roads  (plank  and 
Macadam),  continuing  these  improvements  until  1858. 
In  1860  he  accepted  a  position  in  the  city  engineer's 
office  of  St.  Louis ;  was  superintendent  of  special 
work  in  the  sewerage  department,  and  built  tlie  largest 
sewer  in  the  U.  S  ;  remained  in  this  position  7  years, 
and  then  received  the  appointment  of  road  commis- 
sioner for  Pike  county,  Mo.  From  1869  to  1873  he 
was  chief  engineer  of  the  Louisiana  &  Missouri  River 
R.  R. ;  constructed  100  miles  of  the  most  difficult  por- 
tion of  the  road,  including  one  crossing  of  the  Mis- 
souri river  ;  was  also  employed  in  other  railroad  work. 
Subsequently  he  was  engaged  in  making  plans  and 
specifications,  and  doing  contract  work,  on  drainage 
and  reservoirs  for  the  State  Lunatic  Asylum  at  Ful- 
ton, Mo.  He  m.  Julia  N.  Southard,  of  St.  Louis.  Mo., 
14  April,  1858. 

Willie  M.  C,  b.  2  Mav,  1859;  d.  27  Sept..  1859. 
Man,  J.,  h.  17  Aug.,  18(32  ;  d.  19  April,  1805. 
Annie,  h.  20  Jan.,  1874. 

Charles  B.'^  (Joseph,®  Friend^)  lives  on  the  homestead  in  Web- 
ster; m.,  1st,  Susan  J.  Smith,  of  B.,  23  May,  1850, 
who  d.  17  March,  1863 ;  2d,  Emeline  B.  Harvey,  of 
Hopkinton,  6  April,  1864. 

Children  of  Susan : 

Caleb  P.,  b.  14  April,  1851. 
Adaline  T.,  h.  26  March,  1853. 
George  B.,  h.  12  June,  1855. 
Charles  E.,  b.  10  June,  1858. 

Child  of  Emeline : 

Emma  J.,  b.  8  March,  186G. 

Bitfield  Plumer''  (Richard,®  Capt,,  Benjamin,^  Capt.)  went  to 
Pa.  in  1840  as  a  surveyor,  and  settled  at  Brandy 
Camp,  Elk  county ;  was  afterwards  land  agent,  anil 
extensively  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  ;  m. 
Lydia  A.  Manson,  of  St.  Armand,  L.  C,  4  Aug.,  1854, 
who  was  b.  30  March,  1825. 


>^.,/^.,. 


GENEALOGICAL — LITTLE.  583 

i^rawciV,  b.  3  Sept.,  1855; )  at   present    date    (1878),  students   in 
Elwln,  I).  18  May,  1859;    ^      Western  Reserve  college. 
Heber,  b.  20  Sept.,  1861. 

Levi,'  Eev.  (Eicliard,®  Capt.,  Benjamin,^  Capt.),  resides  at  Wa- 
quoit,  Mass.  ;  grad.  at  Dartmoutli  college  in  1854, 
and  at  Andover  Theological  Seminary  in  1857 ;  was 
licensed  to  preach,  by  the  Ilopkinton  Association,  in 
April,  185G  ;  ni.  Susan  A.  Bourne,  of  Falmouth,  Mass., 
5  Jan.,  1860. 

Fuchard  77.,  b.  22  Dec,  1860. 

Andrew  F.,h.  7  Nov.,  1862. 

Dora,  b.  13  Oct.,  1864;  d.  20  June,  1869. 

Edward  A.,h.  15  Nov.,  1866. 

Charles,  b.  30  Nov.,  1869. 

Edith  M.,  b.  3  Jan.,  1873. 

Ellen  F.,h.-i  Feb.,  1875. 

Horace'^  (Richard,*'  Capt.,  Benjamin,^  Capt.)  resides  in  Eidge- 
way.  Pa. ;  m.  Lucy  A.  Taylor,  of  Fox  township,  Elk 
county.  Pa.,  30  May,  1857.     [See  Biog.] 

ArOiur  7?.,  b.  22  March.  1858. 

Mary  M.,  b.  15  March,  1861. 

Helen,  b.  25  Sept.,  1803. 

Benjamin  P.,  b.  2  ]\Iay,  1868. 

Louise  v.,  b.  3  Aug.,  1873. 

Geokge'  (Simeon  B.,^  Benjamin,^  Capt,)  is  a  merchant  on 
Corser  hill,  Webster,  in  the  store  so  long  occupied 
by  Hezekiah  Fellows,  Esq. ;  m.,  1st,  Louisa,  dan. 
of  Dea.  Enoch  Little,  of  Webster,  29  Nov.,  1855; 
2d,  Sarah  J.,  dan.  of  Dea.  Jeremiah  Gerrish,  19  Nov., 
1807 ;  3d,  Lucy  A.  Sawyer,  of  Salisbury,  15  Oct., 
1873. 

Children  of  Louisa  : 
Henry  Z.,  b.  9  Aug.,  1857. 
Luther  B.,h.  7  July,  1859. 
Mary  Alice,  b.  21  May,  1861 . 
Charles  H.,  h.  10  Oct.,  1861 ;  d.  8  May,  1865. 

Sherman'^  (Simeon  B.,®  Benjamin,^  Capt.)  remains  on  the  home- 
stead ;  is  a  business  man  and  influential  citizen ; 
m.  Mary  A.,  dau.  of  Dea.  Eldad  Austin,  of  Webster, 
8  Sept.,  1859. 

Harriet  B.,  b.  30  Sept.,  18G0. 

Arthur  C.  b.  22  April,  1862. 

Ellen  A.,  h.  19  Aug.,  1863. 

Mi/ra  A.,  h.  11  June,  1865. 

John  E.,b.2  March,  1867. 

Charles  S.,  b.  12  Feb.,  1869. 

Clara  M.,  b.  6  June,  1872. 


684  GENEALOGICAL LITTLE. 

Arthue/  Rev.  (Simeon  B..®  Benjamin,^  Capt.),  grad.  at  Dart- 
mouth college  in  18G0  ;  stutlied  theology  at  Ando- 
ver  and  Princeton  ;  received  the  appointment  of  chap- 
lain for  the  1st  Vt.  Heavy  Artillery,  and  was  ordained 
for  this  office  at  Webster,  16  IMarch,  1863  ;  was  mus- 
tered out  of  service  7  July,  1865;  commenced  his  min- 
istry over  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Bedford,  Oct., 
1865,  and  remained  three  years ;  settled  in  Nov., 
1868,  over  the  1st  Congregational  church  at  Fond  du 
Lac,  Wis. ;  was  dismissed  12  Feb.,  1878,  and  the  same 
month  became  pastor  of  the  N.  E.  Congregational 
church  at  Chicago,  111. ;  m.  Laura  E.,  dau.  of  Benja- 
min Frost,  of  Thetford,  Vt.,  15  Aug.,  1863. 
Mary  Brant,  b.  19  June,  1867. 

Albekt  G?  (Henry,^  Enoch,^  Dea.)  first  settled  at  Liverpool,  and 
afterwards  at  Altona,  Knox  county.  111.,  where  he  now 
dwells ;  is  a  carpenter,  and  dealer  in  musical  instru- 
ments ;  has  been  justice  of  the  peace,  and  held  vari- 
ous offices  in  town  and  county ;  m.,  1st,  Deborah,  dau. 
of  Nehemiah  and  Margaret  (Maxfield)  Brush,  of 
Lewistown,  111.,  10  Kov.,  1842,  who  was  b.  in  Pa.  in 
1821,  and  d.  11  April,  1850  ;  2d.  Jane,  dau.  of  Charles 
and  Emeline  Steel,  at  Liverpool,  111.,  5  Dec,  1850, 
who  was  b.  in  Ind.,  8  Oct.,  1829. 

Children  of  Deborah  : 

Caroline  Amanda,  b.  2  Nov.,  184:3;  m.  Henry  Loranz.  treasurer  of 
Page  county,  Iowa.  18  Feb.,  1869;  resides  at  Clarinda. 

Mary  Emma,  b.  4  Dec,  1841;  grad.  at  Elm  wood  Institute,  at  B., 
Nov.,  1863;  m.  Charles^M.  Morton,  State  Sec.  of  Y.  M.  C 
Associations  of  111.,  4  Dec,  1866;  resides  in  Chicago. 

Phebe,h.  3  April,  1816;  grad.  at  Steubenville,  O. ;  ni.  Jesse  J. 
Pursell,  12  i\Iarch,  1872;  resides  at  Brinifield,  111. 

Susan,h.  28  Feb.,  1818;  m.  Charles  Brush,  of  Haverhill,  0.,  10 
June,  1875. 

Alice,  b.  25  Aug.,  1849;  d.  25  July,  1850. 

Children  of  Jane  : 

Henry,  h.  23  Jan.,  1852;  d.  29  Feb.,  1852. 

Mary  Ellen,  h.  10  Aug.,  18.53;  d.  21  Aug.,  1854. 

Martha,  b.  17  Dec,  1854;  has  been  a  successful  music  teacher  in 

111.  and  Iowa. 
Charles  Coffin,  b.  23  May,  1856;  d.  5  Oct.,  1858. 
Ann  Cora,  b.  14  Feb.,  1858  ;  d.  30  Jan.,  1859. 
Ella,  b.  17  Dec,  1859. 
Jennie,  b.  27  May,  1861. 

Charles  Alfred,  b.  4  Aug.,  1864;  d.  17  Aug.,  1865. 
Olive,  b.  24  Oct.,  1865. 
Samrny  S.,  h.  5  Jan.,  1868;  d.  26  July,  1868. 


GENEALOGICAL LITTLE.  585 

John  EJ  (Jolm,^  Noali^)  resides  in  Lacouia ;  m.  Lettice  A.  Eob- 
inson,  of  Meredith  Village,  4  Nov.,  1843. 

Harriet  W.,  b.  13  An<;.,  1814;  in.  Osman  Baker,  of  Ilolderness,  10 

March,   18G6. 
Nell)/  B.,  b.  8  Jan.,  1851;  m.  Abraham  Morrison,  of  Sanbornton, 

20  Sept.,  1871;  resides  in  Franklin. 
Mary  E.,h.  20   Oct.,   1854;  ni.   Frank  Rollins,  of  Sanbornton,  6 

April,  1877. 
Nancy  H.^  b.  5  June,  1857. 
Lettice  R.,  h.  9  May,  1859. 

Hexey'^   (John,*'  Noah^)  resides  in  Concord  ;  m.,  1st,  Harriet  S. 

Perkins,  of  that  city,  24  Nov.,  1846,  who  d.  16  Sept., 

1863;  2d,   Hannah*  B.  Winch,  of  Marshiield,  Vt.,  24 

Nov.,  1864. 
Children  of  Harriet : 

William  H.,  b.  7  June,  1850. 

Addle  G.,  b.  1  Aug.,  1854. 

Harriet  /.,  b.  3  Oct.,  1858  ;  m.  Fred  Sanborn,  of  Concord,  26  Nov., 

1876. 
Rose  E.,  b.  13  March,  1863;  d.  12  Aug.,  1863. 

Noah''  (John,®  Noah^)  is  a  manufacturer  and  dealer  in  blank- 
books  at  Boston,  Mass.  ;  m.  Marv  E.,  dan.  of  Capt. 
Nathan  Call,  of  Concord,  31  May,  1846. 

George  W.,  b.  23  March,  1847. 
Frank  //.,  b.  16  Sept.,  1852. 

George  AV."  (John,''  Noah^)  resides  in  Phnnouth  ;  in.  Helen  H. 
Holden,  of  Kumney,  29  Nov.,  1854. 
3Ielzena  E.,  b.  17  Aug.,  1856. 

Alonzo  G.'^  (David,®  Noah^)  resides  in  Wichita,  Sedgwick  coun- 
ty, Kansas ;  m.  Jane  Mitchell,  near  Elkhart,  Ind.,  16 
Nov.,  1856. 

Albert  A.,  b.  17  Aug.,  1857. 

Emellne  E.,  b.  7  Jan.,  1860. 

Andrew  D.,  b.  5  April,  1864. 

Clara  J.,  h.  25  Oct.,  1866. 

Charles  0.,  b.  25  Feb.,  1876. 

Alfred,''  Dea.  (Jacob,®  d.  d..  Jesse^)  was  teacher  in  common, 
academj',  and  high  schools  successively;  also  taught 
vocal  and  instrumental  music ;  m.  Sarah  C,  dau.  of 
Dea.  Josepli  Little,  of  Newbury,  Mass.,  31  July,  1855, 
who  d.  at  Granville,  0.,  25  March,  1863. 
Anna  T.,  h.  19  June,  1856  ;  resides  in  Newbury,  Mass. 

George  A.,''  Rev.  (Jacob,®  r>.  c,  Jesse^)  enlisted  in  the  spring  of 
1862 ;  was  taken  prisoner  at  Harj^er's  Ferr}^,  Va., 
same  year ;  grad.  at  Marietta  college,  2  July,  1863,  at 


586    ■  GENEALOGICAL LITTLE. 

Lane  Theological  Seminary,  1866 ;  licensed  to  preach 
h}^  the  Cincinnati  Presbyter}^,  5  April,  1865 ;  was  or- 
dained in  1866,  and  preached  one  year  at  Massillon, 
0.,  and  nearly  seven  years  at  Oconto,  Wis. ;  was  set- 
tled over  the  Presbyterian  church,  at  Plymouth,  Ind., 
1  Dec ,  1875 ;  m.  Sarah  C.  Dangler,  of  Massillon,  0., 
14  Kov.,  1867. 

William,h.  10  Sept.,  1808;  d.  5  xVng.,  1869. 

Mar7j  B.,  b.  24  June,  1870  ;  d.  lo  Oct.,  1876. 

Frank,  b.  25  Jan.,  1873. 

Joseph  P).,'  Pvev.  (Henry,''  d.  d.,  Jesse^)  grad.  at  Amherst  college 
in  1860,  at  Lane  Theological  Seminary  in  1863 ;  was 
ordained  at  Madison,  Ind.,  8  Sept.,  18(")3;  is  pastor  of 
Presbyterian  church,  at  ]Mankato,  Minn.  ;  m.  Mrs. 
Mary  A.  Cromwell,  of  Lima,  0.,  27  Nov.,  1866. 

Herman  G.,  b.  26  Sept..  1807  ;  d.  19  July,  1868. 

George  B.,  b.  4  May,  1869. 

Manj  P.,  b.  18  Nov.,  1871. 

Dajjton  C,  b.  28  Sept.,  1873  ;  d.  Sept.,  1871. 

Heney  S.,' Rev.  (Henry,*'  d.  d.,  Jesse^),  grad.  at  Wabash  college  in 
1863,  at  Lane  Theological  Seminary  in  1866  ;  was  or- 
dained at  Rising  Sun,  Ind.,  11  April,  1866 ;  is  pastor 
of  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Carondelet,  South  St. 
Louis,  Mo. ;  m.  Anna  H  ,  dan.  of  Rev.  William  H. 
McCarer,  of  Evansville,  Ind.,  29  May,  1866. 

Henry,  b.  21  March,  1867. 

William  il/.,  b.  5  Sept.,  1868  ;  d.  2  Feb.,  1869. 

Sarah  M.,  b.  21  Nov.,  1869. 

Cornelia,  b.  13  Sept.,  1871;  d.  5  Sept.,  1872. 

Charles  H..  b.  16  March,  1873  ;  d.  30  May,  1874. 

Susan  N.,h.  27  Dec,  1875. 

George  0.,'^  Rev.  (Henry,''  d.  d.,  Jesse^),  grad.  at  Amherst  col- 
lege in  1860,  at  Lane  Theological  Seminary  in  1863 ; 
was  ordained  8  Sept.,  of  same  year,  at  Madison, 
Ind. ;  is  pastor  of  the  Assembly's  church  (Presby- 
terian) at  Washington,  D.  C.  ;  m.  Mattie  H.,  dau.  of 
Jetliro  Mitchell,  Esq.,  of  Mt.  Auburn,  Cincinnati,  0., 
3  Sept.,  1863. 

Arthur  M.,  b.  10  April,  1865. 
Edward  iV.,  b.  21  Sept.,  1867. 
Norton  M.,  b.  3  Jan.,  1873. 
Edith,  b.  11  Sept.,  1874. 

Charles  H.,'  Rev.  (Henry,^  d.  d.,  Jesse^),  grad.  at  Wabash  coll. 
1870,  and  at  Lane  Theological  Seminary  in  1873  ; 
was  ordained  at  Richmond,   Ind.,  8  April,  1874 ;  is 


11  ^.^-  >'* 


^& 


^..^■^ ' 


eLy^^ax^ 


GENEALOGICAL LITTLE.  587 

pastor  of  the  2d  Presbyterian  church,  at  New  Albany, 
Ind. ;  m.  Lettie  R.,  dau.  of  Tliomas  W.  Fry,  M.  D.,  of 
Lafayette,  Ind.,  23  Feb.,  1873. 

Thomns  W.,  b.  28  Oct.,  1874. 

Charles  F.,  b.  15  Dec,  1877. 

Joseph  A.''  (Thonias,®  Capt.,  Jesse^)  is  an  extensive  farmer  and 
st<)ck-raiser  at  West  Creek,  Lake  county,  Ind.  ;  m. 
Mary,  dau.  of  Abiel  Gerrish,  of  West  Creek,  Ind.,  1 
Nov.,  1859. 

Lems  &'.,  b.  21  Feb.,  18G1. 

bifant  dau.,  b.  20  Nov.  and  d.  30  Dec,  1862. 

James  H.,b.  27  Nov.,  1863. 

Ellen,  h.  31  Jan.,  1866. 

Jesse,  b.  17  Jan.,  1868. 

MyraA.,  h.  26  April,  1872. 

Mar//  E.,  b.  4  April,  1877. 

JoHx   Sullivan"  (Leavitt,^  CoL,   Jesse^)   resides   in   Bradford, 
McKean   county,   Pa. ;    ni.    Louise   H.    Mathews,   of 
Marshall,  111.,  26  Aug.,  1875. 
Dix  M.,  b.  28  Nov.,  1876. 

William  H.^  (Henry,'^  John*')   resides  in  Concord;  m.  Ida   M. 
Vincent,  9  Dec,  1869. 
Frank  B.,  h.  27  Sept.,  1870. 
Willinm  M.,  b.  30  May,  1872. 
Arthur  W.,h.  9  April,  187-i. 
Cora  M.,  b.  12  Feb.,  1877. 

Frank  II. ^  (Noah,^  John®)  resides  in  South  Boston,  Mass.;  ni. 
Lottie  J,  Pearson,  of  Boston,  8  Oct.,  1864. 
George  yilfred,  b.  3  Aug.,  1875. 
Jennie  C,  b.  30  Nov.,  1876. 


588  GENEALOGICAL — MORRILL, 


MOEKILL. 

Abraham^  came  from  England  in  1632. 

Isaac,-  b.  10  May,  1646;  d.  17  Oct.,  1713. 

Abraham,^  b.  21  June,  1671. 

Abraham,*  b.  22  Nov.,  1705 ;  d.  at  Salisbury,  ^lass. 

EoBiE,^  b.  28  Aug.,  1734 ;  grad.  at  Harvard  coll.  1755 ;  ordained 
minister  of  B.  27  Dec,  1761  [see  Biog.]  ;  m.  Elizabeth 
Hobson ;  d.  13  Sept.,  1813. 

Samuel^  b.  at  Salisbury,  ]Mas?.;  d.  in  B.,  14  Oct.,  1816. 
Elizabeth,  b.  31  July,  176'2;  in.  Wm.  Jacknian,  of  B. 
Anna,  b.  20  Oct.,  17(3o:  m.  Joseph  Little,  of  B.  ;  d.  17  Nov.,  1839. 
Joseph  Hobson,  h.  15  June,  1765;  m.    Anna  Jackinan;  d.   4   June, 

1858. 
Jeremiah,  b.  18  Jan.,  1775. 
Sallij,  b.  30  May,  1777  ;  d.  20  April,  1859. 
Jane,  b.  26  Dec,  1768;  d.  30  Sept.,  1832. 

Samuel,^  (Robie^),  b.  5  Jan.,  1761. 

Belsey  M.,  b.  8  March,  1787;  ni.  James   Chadwick,   of  B.;  d.  17 

Nov.,  1851. 
Eunice,  b.  4  April,  1788;  d.  19  March,  1828. 
Nathaniel,  b.  8  Sept.,  1789. 
Judith,  b.  13  Dec,  1792;  m.  Joseph  Chadwick,  of  B.;  d.  12  March, 

1821. 
Benjamin,  b.  16   Jan.,  1794. 
Anna  Hobson,  h.  11  Sept.,  1797  ;  ni.  Dr.  Merrill,  Ilopkin- 

ton,  Mass. 

Joseph  H.*'  (Robie,^  Rev.),  b.  15  Jan.,  1765 ;  m.,  1st, At- 
kinson ;  2d,  — Lunt ;  d.  21  March.  1858. 

Joseph,  b.  23  May,  1793. 

Judith,  b.  29  Nov.,  1797;  m.  Nehemiah  Cogswell;  d.  19  Nov.,  1810. 
Calcin,  b.  6  Dec,  1805;  m.  Mary  Clark,  of  B.;  d.  in  AVebster,  14 
May,  1875. 

Jeremiah'^  (Robie,^  Rev.),  b.  18  Jan.,  1875  ;  m.  Anna  Jackman ; 
d.  4  June,  1858. 
Nancy,  b.  9  Oct.,  1800;  m.  Moses  Foster,  of  Canterbury. 

Reuben  Prentice,  b.  12  April,  1808;  ni. Forbes. 

Harrison  Otis,  b.  20  May,  1810. 

Marij,  b.  11  Dec,  1812;  ui.  Sewell  Fifield. 

Roger  Sherman,  b.  25  Dec,  1815;  d.  9  Sept.,  18G1. 

I^ATHAXiEL^  (Samuel,^  Robie,^  Rev.),  b.  8   Sept.,   1789  ;  m. 

Morrill ;  lived  in  Canterbury. 

Mary  Emily,  b.  3  March,  1821;  m. Fitts ;  d.  23  Oct.,  1845. 

Catherine,  b.  27  Aug.,  1823;  d.  14  Oct.,  1841. 
Reuben,  b.  11  May,  1825.     • 


GENEALOGICAL — MORRILL.  589 

Samuel  Atldnson,  h.  26  May,  1827. 

Charles  Franklin,  b.  27  May,  1829. 

E72och,  b.  16  Sept.,  18:33. 

Elizabeth  C,  b.  7  March,  1831;  d.  24  April,  1832. 

Benjamin^  (Samuel,«  Robie,^  Rev.),  b.   16  Jan..    1794 ;  m.,  1st, 

Eastman  ;  2cl,   Clioat,  of  Deny ;  lived  on 

B.  Plain,  in  bouse  owned  by  S.  B.  G.  Corscr,  also  in 
tbe  house  erected  by  bis  grandfather,  Rev.  Robie.  He 
was  a  clock-  and  scale-maker, — a  man  of  great  ingenu- 
ity. At  one  time — about  1840,  '45 — he  manufactured 
melodeons  and  seraphines.     He  d.  21  April,  1857. 

Lua-elia,  dau.  1st  wife,  m.  Donaldson  ;  lives  in  111. 

Franklin  C,  b.  ]\Iarcli,  1835. 

Manj  Frances,  b.  2-1  Aug.,  1843. 

Joseph^  (Joseph  H.,*^  Robie,^  Rev.),  b.   23  May,  1793 ;  m. 

Lunt ;  d.  5  Jan.,  1844.  He  taught  school  many  years  ; 

was  representative  two  years;  an  earnest  Christian; 

for   many   years    superintendent    of    Sunday-school  ; 

lived  on  the  Plain  with  his  father. 
Mary  TF.,  b.  1819;  d.  27  Nov.,  1835. 
Enoch  Lunt,  b.  9  Oct..  1820. 
Joseph  Hobson,  b.  15  June,  1828. 

Enoch  L.^  (Joseph,^  Joseph  H.,«^  Robie,^  Rev.),  b.   9  Oct.,  1820 ; 
m.  Susannah  Coffin ;  d.  2  Dec,  1874. 
Emma  Adelaide,  h.  1818;  d.  1851. 
Elizabeth,  b.  11  June,  1850. 
Edward  P.,  b.  9  April,  1852. 
Envmdtee,  d.  in  infancy. 
Malvina,  d.  in  infancy. 
Elmer  F.,  b.  2  Dec,  1861;  resides  in  ]Manchester. 

Joseph  Hobson^   (Joseph,'^  Joseph   H.,*'  Robie,^  Rev.),   b.    15 
June,  1828  ;  m.  0.  A.  Munroe ;  lives  in  Concord. 
Marij  Ella,  b.  Sept.,  1854. 

Harrison  O.''  (Jeremiah,^  Robie,^  Rev.),  b.  30  May,  1818  ;  m. 

Richardson. 

William^  Emma,  Edward.  Everett. 

Reuben  P.^  (Jeremiah'')  m. Forbes. 

Warren,  Jeremiah. 


590  GENEALOGICAL MORRISON,  NOYES. 

MORRISON. 

Compiled  by  Abiel  R.  Chandler. 

JoHX  H.-  (Abner^),  b.  in  Derry,  4  June,  1779  ;  m.  Maiy,  dan.  of 
David  Paul,  of  Deny ;  settled  in  B.  just  below  the 
Plain,  in  1803 ;  d.  11  Aug.,  1858.  His  wife  d.  14 
July,  1863. 

Mary  Holmes,  b.  27  Jan.,  1802;  d.  11  Oct.,  1812. 

Eliza  Jane,  h.    1    Oct.,  1803;  m.,   1829,   Abiel  W.  Chandler,  of  B. 

[See  Chandler  Biog.] 
George,  h.  15  Dec,  18U5  :  m.  Sally  Randall,  of  Great  Falls;  d.  1 

Feb.,  18GU. 
Leonard,  b.  7  Oct.,  1807:  m.  Sally  Cole,  of  B. 
Persis,  b.  5  Oct.,  1800;  m.  Edward  B.  Kimball,  of  Hanover,  and 

settled  in  Qoincy,  111. 
]\Iar)/,h.  6  Jan.,  1812;  m,   Charles   Stoby,  of  Quincy,  111.;  d.  21 

Aug.,  1876. 
Sylcia  Ann,   b.    13  Dec,  1813;  m.    Charles    Ford,    of   Brookliue, 

Mass.;  d.  1  Sept.,  1875. 
Louisa  Maria,  b.  26  Jan.,  1816 ;  m.  Jonathan  P.  Howe,  of  B. 
John  Sherman,  b.  19  Jan.,  1819  ;  d.  9  March,  1819. 

Samuel  Wood,     ).     ,,.  Anril    18O0-  ^  ^-  ^^^^'  -'^^^'^■ 
Nancy  Wingate,  \^-  ^'^  ^P"^'''  ^^"^ '  j  d.  3  May,  1820. 

NOYES. 

Compiled  by  William  Temple. 

Nicholas^  and  Rev,  James,  brothers,  came  from  Wiltshire,  Eng., 
1638,  and  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  Newbury. 
The  B.  branch  is  descended  from  Nicholas,  who  had 
a  son, — 

Timothy,-  who  had  a  son, — 

James,^  m.  Sarah  Coffin,  of  Ne\vbur3\ 
Isaac,  b.  14  July,  1719. 
Daniel,  b.  30  Jan.,  1723; — perhaps  others. 

Isaac*  (James^),  b.  14  July,  1719 ;  m.  Sarah  Pettingill,  24  Nov., 
1743  ;  moved  to  B.,  1768. 
Cutting,  b.  2  June,  1745. 
Amos,  b.  19  Feb.,  1749. 
Elizabeth,  h.  7  July,  1750. 
Sarah,  b.  2  May,  1755. 

Cutting"  (Isaac,*  James,^  Timothy,-  Nicholas^),  b.  in  Newbury, 
2  June,  1745 ;  came  with  his  father  to  B. ;  settled  on 
farm  owned  in  1876  by  L.  M.  Chadwick,  Esq.  ;  m. 
Molly  Burbanlv ;  was  elected  selectman,  1776,  '77,  '78, 
'81,  '88  ;  elected  deacon  of  the  church,  1786 ;  moved 
to  Newport,  1794. 


GENEALOGICAL NOYES.  591 

Isaac,  b.  15  Aug.,  1772. 
Moses,  b.  21  Dec,  1774. 
Sarah,  b.  8  Oct.,  1776. 
Samuel  Muzzt/,  b.  21  Aug.,  1778. 
Judilh,  b.  16  Mav,  ]78[). 
Dorcas,  b.  17  Feb.,  1782. 
Amos,  b.  19  Dec,  1783. 
Enoch,  h.  16  Nov..  1785. 
Benjamin,  b.  9  June,  1787. 
Abigail,  b.  20  Jan.,  1793. 

Dan^iel^  (Jnmes,^  Timothy,-  Nicliolas^),  b.  in  Newbury,  30  Jan., 
1723  ;  came  to  B..  17G1  ;  lived  on  the  farm  occupied 
at  one  period  by  Mr.  Solomon  Arey, — hxter  by  Daniel 
Flint;  ra.  Anna  Chase,  of  Haverhill,  Mass.,  1745. 

Marij,  b.  15  April,  174(i ;  la.  Nicliolas  Davis;  d.  10  June,  1829. 

Joanna,  b.  27  March,  1710;  m.  Richard  Carr. 

Sarah,  b.  29  IMarch,  1752;  d.  young. 

James,  b.  22  May,  1751;  d.  young. 

Tristram,  b.  7  March.  1759. 

Isaac,  b.  19  June,  1702;  m.,  1st,  Phebe  Goodwin;  2(1,  Mrs.  Sarah 
Boardman;  d.  9  April,  184]. 

Daniel,  b.  26  Jan.,  1705;  ni.  Polly  Marston;  d.  21  Jan.,  1852  ;  stud- 
ied medicine  with  Dr.  Daniel  Peterson,  of  B. ;  settled  in 
Enfield;  moved  to  O. 

Tristram^  (Daniel, ■*  James'^),  b.  7  March,  1759 ;  m.  Miriam  East- 
man, of  Salisbury,  Mass.     He  was  a  carpenter  and 
plow-maker, — an  ingenious  mechanic;  d.  Aug.,  1824. 
Ilanj,  b.  20  Aug.,  1785;  m.  Peter  King;  d.  28  Aug.,  18G6. 
Jeremiah,  b.  28  JNlarcIi,  1788. 

Jane,h.  28  Jan.,  179U;  m.,  1st,  Eben  Hall;  2d,  Isaac   Atwood;  d. 
2  Feb.,  1857. 
,    Cltasch.  8  Feb.,  1792;  m.  Nancy  Kempton  ;  d.  May,  1862. 
Nanct),  b.  14  March,  1794;  d.  young. 

Buth,  b.  25  Aug-.,  1790  ;  m.  Jabez  Ilannaford;  d.  14  Aug.,  1800. 
Enoch,  b.  10  Jan.,  1799  ;  d.  10  Sept.,  1819. 
Marif,  m.  Obed  Kempton. 
'      Susanna,  h.  4  Dec.   18  Jo;  m.  Wm.  Temple;  living,  1870,  at  East 
Woburn,  Mass. 

Jeremiah^  (Tristram,^  DanieP),  b.  28  March,  178S ;  m.  Martha 
Jackman  ;  lived  in  house  occupied  by  Prentis  Fowler, 
1876,  south  end  King  st. ;  surveyor,  wheelwright ;  in- 
heritor of  his  father's  mechanical  ingenuity ;  select- 
man;  justice  of  the  peace  ;  d.  7  Nov.,  1868. 

Martha  L.,  b.  6  June,  1812;  d.  15  Sept.,  1836. 

Sarah  Jackman,  b.  1  Sept.,  1815;  m.  Moody  M   Pinkertou. 

Mary  King,  b.  22  Sept.,  1817. 

Enoch  Russell,  h.  27  April,  1820. 

Esther  Jackman,  h.  6  Jan.,  1823;  m.  Geo.  Allison. 

Samuel  Gilman,  b.  12  Oct.,  1827;  ra.  Achsah  J.  Brown. 


592  GENEALOGICAL PEARSON. 

Ephraim,^  another  brancli  of  the  Noyes  family,  h.  in  ISTewbuiy  ; 
m.  Molly,  sister  of  Nathaniel  Thurston,  of  B.  ;  settled 
on  Corser  hill ;  d.  13  May,  1856,  aged  92. 

Jane  Pearson,  b.  5  Oct.,  1796;  d.  20  Sept.,  1819. 

Elizabeth  IF.,  b.  9  Aucr.,  1798. 

Edna  Adams,  b.  13  May,  1801. 

Judith  Stickneij,  b.  20  Aug.,  1803  ;  ra. Whicher,  of  Rowley. 

Nicholas  Moodij^h.  24  Oct.,  1806;  m.  Phebe  Kelley;  one  son, — 
IIe7irij. 

PEAESO:^T. 

JoHN^  came  from  England  to  Eowley,  Mass.,  in  1643  or  1645, 
and  erected  a  mill  for  dressing  cloth. 

Benjamin-  (John^),  b.  1648  ;  m.  Hannah,  dan.  of  Daniel 
and  Anne   (Pell)  Thurston. 

Benjamin,^  fourth  child   of  Benjamin,-  b.   12   Aug.,   1690 ;    m. 
Dorothy  Moody. 
Isaac. 
Jeremiah. 

Isaac,"  Dea.,  b.  21  Oct.,  1728;  m.,  1st,  28  Nov.,  1751,  Sarah 
Gerrish,  who  d.  16  JMarch,  1773,  aged  44  years ;  2d, 
Anna  Plumer,  11  Jan.,  1774,  who  d.  2  April,  1789, 
without  issue ;  3d,  Mary  Eaton,  1789,  who  d.  30 
March,  1848,  aged  96,  without  issue.  He  was  chosen 
deacon  of  the  church  of  B.  about  the  year  1770  ;  was 
also  elected  deacon  of  the  church  in  the  east  part  of  the 
town  in  the  year  1786 ;  d.  8  March,  1805,  aged  77. 

Children  of  Sarah  : 

Moses,  b.  21  Nov.,  1752;  d.  8  Dec,  1752. 

Mary  Elisehelh^h.  3  Oct.,  1753;  in.  Mnj.  Enoch  Gerrish. 

Joseph,  b.  17  Aug.,  1755;  m.  Hannah  Atkinson;  moved  to  Haver- 
hill, N.  H. 

Jane,  b.  1  Dec,  1757  ;  d.  20  May,  1758.  • 

Jane,  b.  10  ]\Iay,  1759;  d.  4  July,  1759. 

Isaac,  b.  7  Aug.,  1760;  m.  Sarah  Allison;  Uved  in  Northfield;  d. 
without  issue. 

Somershy,  h.  27  Aug.,  1763. 

Moses,  h.  12  Dec,  1705;  d.  31  Jan.,  1767. 

SOMERSBY,^  Capt.  (Isaac,"  Dea.),  b.  27  Aug.,  1763;  d.  12  July, 
1811,  aged  48  ;  m.  Judith,  dan.  of  Joshua  and  Ee- 
beeca  (Gerrish)  March,  who  d.  9  Dec,  1820,  aged  50. 

Isaac,  h.  14  May,  1792. 

Mary,  b.  7  April,  1794;  m.  John  Cogswell;  d.  5  April,  1823,  aged 

29. 
Rebecca,  b.  1799;  d.  4  May,  1812,  aged  13. 
Judith,  b.  18u3;  d.  17  April,  1819,  aged  16. 


GENEALOGICAL — PEARSON. 


593 


IsAAC«  (Somersby,5  Q^^pt.),  b-  14  May,  1792  ;  d.  4  March,  1824, 
a^'ed  32  years  ;  m.  Hannah,  dau.  of  Major  Enoch 
Gerrisli,  1  June,  1814,  who  d.  29  Jan.,  182i. 

Rebecca,  b.  12  Nov.,  ISL);  d.  22  .July,  18ii;  m.  Calvin  Gage,  of 
B.;  children, — Hannah  Pearxnn,  b.  13  June,  lSo6;  d.  5 
July,  1852,  aged  16;  Mariha  Ann,  b.  10  May,  1840;  d.  19 
July,  184(3. 

The  family  of  Capt.  Somersby  Pearson  is  extinct. 

Jeremiah'*  (Benjamin,^  Benjamin,'-^  John^)  m.  Elizabeth  Pearson. 

Nathan,  b.  17G(). 
Samuel,  h.  28  Nov.,  1771. 
Poll//,  m.  Paul  Dodge. 

Kathan^  (Jeremiah^)  m.  Elisabeth  Thurlow ;  d.  Jan.,  1850 ; 
moved  to  B.  from  Xewbury,  Mass.,  1795. 

Poll//,  h.  17  July,  1787;  m.  Isaac  Ilale;  d.  14  Nov.,  18(35. 
Betsey,  b.  25  April.  1790  ;  m.  Isaac  Hale  ;  d.  9  Jan.,  1832. 
Paul,  b.  10  July,  1792;  d.  27  Sept.,  1797. 
Paul,  b.  19  Oct.,  1798. 
Nathan,  b.  22  Sept.,  1802. 

Samuel^    (Jeremiah*),   b.   28  Nov.,    1771;    m.   Mary    B.  Lane; 
moved  to  B.  from  Newbury,  179G;  d.  20   Nov.,  1843. 
Annie,  b.  G  Sept.,  1797;  d.  27  Jan.,  1800. 
Lyilia,  b.  24  July,  1799 ;  d.  11    Dec.  1800. 
Annie,  b.  14  March,  1802  ;  d.  9  April,  1804. 
Man/,  b.  23  Nov.,  1805:  m.  Plunimer  R.  Stevens. 
Nanc/i,  b.  25  Jan.,  1808;  d.  20  Nov.,  1856. 

Paul^  (Nathan,^  Jeremiah*)  m.    Sarah  Couch  ;  member   of   the 
legislature  1856,  1857. 
William,  b.  5  March,  1827. 
Charles,  b.  17  Aug.,  1829. 

Sarah  J.,  b.  22  Dec,  1835;  m.  Henry  II.  Gerrish. 
Henry  F.,  b.  23  July,  1839. 

Nathax'^  (Nathan^)  m.  Eliza  Couch,  d.  12  Oct.,  1SG8  [see  Biog.] 

John  C.,h.  25  May,  1835. 
William'^  (Paul®)  m.  Rebecca  Corser.    . 

Clara,  b.  3  Jan.,  1859  ;  d.  22  June,  1859. 

Charles,  b.  23  April,  1861. 

Charles''  (PauP)  m.  Eanny  Prescott ;  d.  March,  1856. 
Lizzie  F.,  b.  18  Jan.,  18.53;  ra.  D.  B.  Badger,  of  Boston. 

Henry  F.''  (PauP)  m.  Henrietta  Bills. 
Edwin  H.,  b.  9  Feb.,  1863. 
George  L.,  b.  34  March,  1865. 
Jessie  E.,^.  30  July,  1869. 
Henry  F.,}^.^  Oct.,  1873. 
Henrietta,  )  ' 


594  GENEALOGICAL PILLSBURY, 

JoHST  C'  (ISTathan®)  m.  Elizabetli  S.  Colby  ;  member  of  legislature 
1871,  1872;  resides  at  Fislierville. 

Carrie  i/.,  b.  23  Dec,  1857. 

Edward  iV.,  b.  7  Sept.,  1859  ;  in  Dart,  coll.,  class  1881. 

John  Walter,]).  17  Feb.,  1862. 

Harloiv  C,  b.  27  Nov.,  1872. 

PILLSBUKY. 

Compiled  by  Alfred  Little. 

William-^  (the  name  originally  called  Pillesburgh, — see  Coffin's 
Hist,  of  Newbury)  was  b.  in  Staffordsbire,  England, 
1605;  came  to  Newbury,  Mass.,  in  1641,  tbeiice  to 
Dorcbester  tbe  same  year ;  m.  Dorothy  Crosby  of  that 
town,  in  1642;  returned  to  Newbury  in  1651  [?], 
where  he  d.  19  June,  1686.  He  bought  bis  farm  of 
Edward  Kawson,  secretary  of  state,  which  has  ever 
since  been  owned  by  his  lineal  descendants,  and  is 
now  occupied  by  Joshua  Pillsl)ury  of  High  st.,  New- 
buryport.  He  was  a  man  of  wealth ;  owned  a  large 
tract  of  land,  and  had  money  to  let,  which  tradition 
says  he  kept  secreted  under  the  eaves  of  his  thatched 
barn. 

Joh,  b.  in  Dorchester,  Mass.,  IG  Oct.,  1643. 

Moses. 

Abel  b.  1652. 

Caleb,  b.  at  Newbury,  Mass.,  28  Jan.,  1651;  d.  4  Julv^lGSO. 

William,  h.  27  July,  1650. 

Experience,  b.  10  April,  1658. 

Increase,  b.  10  Oct.,  1660. 

Thankful,  b.  22  April,  1662. 

Joshua,  b.  20  June,  1674. 

JoB^  (William^)  m.  Katharine  Gavet,  5  April,  1677. 

■Daniel,  b.  20  Sept.,  1678. 
Josiah,h.  17  April,  1686. 

Daniel^  (Job,"  William^).  In  1700,  he  built  the  Pillsbury  house 
on  High  St.,  Newburyport,  which  has  ever  since  been 
occupied  by  his  descendants  ;  m.  Sarah  Allen,  18  Jan., 
1703. 

Joshua,  b.  11  Feb.,  1704;  d.  21  March,  1788. 

Joshua*  (Daniel,^  Job-)  m.  Mary  Somersby,  of  Newbury,  Mass., 
1731,  who  d.  16  April,  1794,  aged  87. 

Joshua,  b.  23  March,  1738;  d.  6  April,  1798. 


GENEALOGICAL PILLSBURY.  595 

Jo  SHU  A^  (Joslma,*  DanieP)  m.  Kebeckali  Witham,  of  Peppers- 
1)oro'  (Wells),  Me.,  1764,  who  d.  28  June,  1819,  aged 

77. 

Daniel,  b.  15  April.  1765;  d.  at  C  ,  S  Dec,  18^4. 
Jos/ma, b.  1769  ;  d.  at  B.,  15  Aug.,  ISll. 

lie  had  also  several  other  children, — daughters. 

Daniel,*'  Lieut.  (Joshua,^  Joshua*),  m.  Eunice  Tliurlow,  of  New- 
buryport,  Mass.,  5  Feb.,  1788  ;  who  was  b.  5  May,  1765, 
and  d.  27  Oct.,  1847.  Soon  after  his  marriage  he  re- 
moved to  B.  and  settled  on  his  father's  farm  on  Water 
St.,  which  he  subsequently  purchased ;  was  a  carpen- 
ter and  mill-wright.  Thougii  a  man  of  medium  stat- 
ure, yet  the  united  heights  of  his  7  sons  amounted  to 
42^  feet. 

Danid,  b.  20  March,  1789;  d.  19  July,  1872. 

Enoch,  h.  14  Aug.,  1790. 

George  T.,  b.  7  Feb.,  1792;  d.  16  May,  18-36. 

Moody  A.,  h.  4  May,  1794;  d.  8  Jan.,  1863. 

Rebecca,  b.  29  April,  1796  ;  d.  5  Oct.,  1874;  m.  Jeremiah  Titcomb, 

of  Deny,  29  April,  1823  ;  lived  in  B. 
PaulP.,\).  9  Nov.,  1797. 
Joseph,  h.  7  Aug.,  1799;  d.  14  :\lay,  1861. 
Eunice,  b.  22  Sept..  1803;  d.  2  Nov..  1843. 
3Ian/,  h.  6  Feb.,  1805;  d.  7  April,  1813. 
Sarah,  b.  4  Nov.,  1806;  resides  on  the  homestead. 
William  T.,  b.  24  Aug.,  1809  ;  d.  27  Aug.,  1845. 

Joshua,''  Capt.  (Joshua,®  Joshua'*),  m.  Elizabeth  Wood,  of  New- 
burvport,  Mass.,  1793,  who  d.  1  Dec,  1816.  He  re- 
moved to  B.  in  1809. 

Enoch,  b.  7  Jan.,  1795;  d.  at  Nashua,  26  Jan.,  1S57. 

Joshta,  b.  13  Aug..  1796. 

Elizabeth,  h.  1  Aug.,  1798;  d.  16  Oct.,  1825;  m.  Jeremiah  Little,  of 

B.,  5  March,  1816. 
Nathaniel,  b.  13  Sept..  1800;  d.  14  April,  1863. 
Eunice,  b.  2  Jan.,  1803;  d.  in  Lawrence,  Mass.,  1   Aug.,  1872  ;  ra. 

Simon  Brown,  of  Derry,  in  1828. 
Mary  C,  b.  20  ]March,  1805;  d.    25  July,  1809  ;  m.  Capt.  Richard 

Little,  of  B.,  22  May,  1827. 
Phebe,  b.  21  ]May,  1807;  m.  in  1829. 
Caroline,  b.  10  July,  1811;  m.  1831. 

Daniel,'''  Capt.  (Daniel,*'  Lieut.,  Joshua®),  removed  to  West  New- 
bury, Mass  ;  m.,  1st,  Dorothy  Searles,  of  New  Ches- 
ter, 26  Nov.,  1812,  who  d.  4  June,  1819;  2d.  Betsey 
Burleigh,  of  Franklin,  9  Nov.,  1820,  who  d.  19  Sept., 
1868. 


696  GENEALOGICAL PILLSBURY. 

Children  of  Dorothy  : 

Ehura  D.,  b.25  June,  1815;  d.  7  Aug.,  1821. 
Alelvin,  b.  11  July,  1818. 

Children  of  Betsey : 

3IaryA.,  b.  10  Sept.,  18-21  ;  d.  2  July,  1831. 
Joseph  B.,  b.  19  June,  182:5;  d.  23  Dec,  1833. 
Benjamin  D.,  b.  25  Oct.,  1821. 

Enoch"  (Daniel,''  Lieiit.,  Joshua''^)  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  of  1812  ; 
resides  in  "Webster  ;  ni.  Martha  Burleigh,  of  Franklin, 
6  Dec,  1822. 

E7ioch  IIilton,h.  5  May,  1821;  d.  23  Dec,  1857. 
Martha  A. ,h.   26  Jan.,    183G;  d.   22  Sept.,  18G0;  m.  Ezekiel  W. 
Burbauk,  of  Webster,  in  1851. 

George  T.,'  Dea.  (Daniel,*'  Lieut.,  Joshua^),  lived  in  B.  ;  was  a 
mill-wright  and  carpenter,  and  the  first  man  in  town 
to  frame  buildings  by  square  rule  ;  m.  Susannah,  dau. 
of  Dea.  Eliphalet  Kilburn,  of  B.,  16  June,  1813,  who 
was  h.  16  Eeb.,  1790,  and  d.  in  Chicago,  111.,  31 
March,  1861.     [See  Biog.] 

Emihj,  b.  2G  Sept.,  1811;  was  a  successful  teacher  in  N.  E.  and  at 
the  South;  ni.,  1st,  Rev.  A.  B.  Burke,  in  Alexander, 
Burke  county,  Ga.,  19  Dec,  1818,  who  d.  10  May,  1849  ; 
2d,  Col.  D.  F.  Kimball,  of  Chicago,  111.,  19  Sept.,  1859  ; 
resides  in  Fisherville. 

Catharine,  b.  22  Sept.,  1820  ;  d.  19  Oct.,  1813;  m.  Sewell  noit,of 
Concord,  20  Jan.,  1837. 

Moody  A.,'  Gen.  (Daniel,''  Lieut.,  Joshua^),  lived  at  Bashan  ;  m., 
1st,  Abigail  AV.,  dau.  of  Col.  Timothy  Dix,  of  B., 
1  Oct.,  1818,  who  d.  9  May,  1852;  2d,  Louisa  F.  Dix, 
sister  of  Abigail,  25  Xov.,  1852.     [See  Biog.] 

Children  of  Abigail : 

Mooilij  Adamt^,  b.  20  Sept.,  1820;  m.  Charlotte  Couch,  of  B.,  15 
March,  1847;  resides  in  Webster. 

George,  b.  17  Oct.,  1823. 

Charles  W.,  1).  7  June,   1820;  d.  17  May,  1828. 

Charles  ,S'.,  b.  14  April,  1828. 

Paul  P.,'  Capt.  (Daniel,"  Lieut.,  Joshua^),  resides  at  Andover, 
Mass.  ;  ni.,  1st,  Hannah  Frost,  2  May,  1825,  who  d. 
27  Sept.,  1847,  aged  52  years,  5  months;  2d,  Sarah 
A.  Stephens,  of  Andover,  Mass.,  10  Jan.,  1848,  who  d. 
5  Feb.,  1868,  aged  52  years,  10  months. 

Child  of  Hannah : 
Solomon  i^.,  b.  8  June,  1829;  d.  29  Aug.,  1847. 


GENEALOGICAL — PILLSBURY. 


597 


Children  of  Sarali : 
Solomon  B.,  b.  14  Dec,  1848. 
George  P.,  b.  22  Nov.,  1851. 
Infant,  b.  and  d.  12  May,  1855. 

Joseph/  Dea.  (Daniel,''  Lieut.,  Joshna^),  received  a  common- 
school  education,  which  was  improA^ed  by  judicious 
reading  and  association  with  people  of  intelligence. 
He,  as  well  as  five  of  his  brothers,  held  a  captain's 
commission.  In  early  life  he  experienced  religion, 
and  united  with  the  Congregational  church,  of  which 
he  was  ever  an  active  and  consistent  member ;  was 
chosen  deacon  of  Eirst  Congregational  church  in  B. 
He  first  settled  on  a  farm  at  East  B.  In  1831,  he 
accepted  the  position  as  agent  and  overseer  of  a  large 
farm,  containing  1,500  acres,  in  Jackson,  Me.,  owned 
by  Thorndike,,  Sears  &  Co.,  of  Boston.  Here  he  re- 
mained five  years,  filling  this  place  of  responsibility 
with  satisfaction  to  his  employers.  He  returned  to 
B.  in  1836,  and  settled  on  the  "Mt.  Pleasant"  farm, 
which  he  occupied  through  life.  In  1840,  '41,  and 
'42,  he  was  employed  by  the  U.  S.  Land  Co.,  oi  Bos- 
ton, as  inspector  and  appraiser  of  their  lands  in  west- 
ern Pa.  He  was  well  known  as  a  progressive  and 
practical  agriculturist.  While  a  young  man  he  re- 
ceived an  injury  that  resulted  in  a  chronic  disease  of 
the  stomach,  from  which  he  was  a  sufferer  till  death. 
*  He  possessed  a  genial,  social  nature,  and  his  life  was 

filled  with  deeds  of  kindness.  For  a  description  of 
his  character,  see  Titus,  1st,  8th.  He  m.  Martha,  dan. 
of  Jesse  Little,  of  B.,  19  May,  1825. 

Henrjj  Tl^,  Col.,  b.  27  June,  1827;  was  a  young  man  of  promise  in 
the  church  and  Sabbath-scliool.  Durini,^  the  years  1849 
and  1850  he  was  employed  by  Col.  L.  C.  Little,  in  the  lum- 
ber business,  on  the  Allegliany  and  Ohio  rivers.  In  1853 
and  1854  he  became  overseer,  and  furnislied  lumber  supplies 
for  the  Chicago  &  Fort  AVayne  R.  11.;  subsequently  was 
in  company  with  his  brotlier,  Col.  J.  L.  Tillsbury,  as  con- 
tractor on  the  INIobile  &  Girard  11.  R.;  was  last  engaged 
in  railroad  work  at  Dubuque.  Iowa,  where  he  d.  12  Dec, 
1857. 

Joseph  Z.,  b.  10  Feb.,  1829;  d.  at  P..,  10  Jan.,  1873. 

George  T.,  b.  20  March,  1833;  d.  11  Oct..  1834. 

Martha  S.,  b.  15  Feb.,  1836;  m.  Daniel  D.  Webster,  of  B.,  24 
April,  1867. 

George  i.,  b.  17  May,  1839. 

William  T.,^  Capt.  (Daniel,'^  Lieut.,  Joshua^),  lived  in  Solon,  0., 
for  several  years  ;  returned  to  N.   H.   and  settled  on 


598  GENEALOGICAL PILLSBURY. 

tlie  "  mountain  farm "  in  Salisbury ;  was  a  noted 
hunter;  m.  Eunice  Fowler,  of  B.,  10  Jan.,  1833,  who 
was  b.  27  Aug.,  1808. 

Elvira,  h.  26  April,  18:39. 
EUenette,  b.  4  June,  1842. 

Exoch''   (Joshua,''    Capt.,   Joshua^)   lived   in  B.,   afterwards    re- 
moved to  Nashua  ;  m.  Margaret,  dau.  of  Caleb  Knight, 
Esq.,  of  B.,  22  Feb.,  1816,  wlio  was  b.  2  Jan.,  1795, 
and  d.  at  Nashua,  19  Sept.,  1845. 
Children  of  Margaret : 

Jonathan  /v.,  b.  21  Feb.,  1817;  d.  at  Walpole,  Mass.,  9  Dec,  1876. 

Sarah  Elizabeth,  b.  21  IMiirch,  1819. 

Phebe  A'.,  b.  G  April,  1821;  d.  at  Nashua,  21  Jan.,  1815. 

Margaret  A.,  b.  23  April,  1823;  d.  at  Maiden,  Mass.,  U  Aug., 
18(36. 

Caleb  K.,h.  30  Dec,  1821. 

Eunice  W.,h.  19  Feb.,  1827;  m.  Wni.  G.  Baib\y,  of  Weymouth, 
Mass.,  30   Nov.,  1851;  resides  at  J>everly,  N.  J. 

Joshua  P.,  b.  l  Jan.,  1830;  d.  at  Woonsocket,  E.  L,  28  Oct.,  1877. 

Sophia  F.,  b.  12  July,  and  d.  21  Aug.,  1833. 

Rebecca  D.,  h.  19  Oct.,  1831;  m.  James  Wood,  of  Lebanon,  21  Oct., 
1855. 

Catherine  B.,  b.  14  April.  1837;  m.  Rev.  Jesse  K.  Hragg,  25  Dec, 
1861,  who  (1.  at  Norfolk,  Mass.,  14  June,  1874. 

Joshua'^  (Joshua,"  Capt.,  Joshua^)  resides  in  tlie  liouse  built  by 
Daniel,^  on  the  farm  purchased  by  AVilliam,^  situated 
on  High  St.,  Newburyport.  He  m.  Sarah  D.  [Polfe, 
of  that  city,  24  July,  1821. 

Samuel  R.,  b.  8  May,  1822;  d.  Jan..  1842. 

Hannah  R.,  b.  21  April,  1824;  m.  Hubbard  Getchell,  of  Sanford, 
Me.,  Nov.,  1848;  resides  iu  Newburyport. 

Joahua,  b.  2()  AprU,  1828. 

George,  b.  5  March,  1832;  d.  17  July,  1851. 

Sarah  J.,  b.  1  Aug.,  1838;  d.  17  Nov.,  1865. 

Nathaniel"  (Joshua,''  Capt.,  Joshua^)  lived  in  Newburyport ; 
m.,  1st,  Hannah  Giddings,  of  Derry,  1824,  who  d. 
Aug.,  1839;  2d,  Martha  A.  Huse,  of  Windham. 

Children  of  Hannah  : 
Francis  E.,  b.  Feb.,  1825. 
John  TF..  b.  1828. 
George  W.,  h.  1832;  d.  May,  1843. 

Children  of  Martha  : 
Emilg  W.,  Mary  E.,  Ilarvey  II., — all  married. 

Melvin^  (Daniel,^  Capt..  Daniel,'^  Lieut.)  resides  in  Newbury- 
port ;  is  a  macliinist ;  m.,  1st,  Mary  J  Craig,  of  Read- 
field,  Me.,  2  May,  1839,  who  d.  13  April,  1854;  2d, 
Mary  H.  Marling,  in  Danvers,  Mass.,  6  March,  1868. 


GENEALOGICAL PILLSBURY.  599 

Children  of  Mary  J. : 

Henrietta  R.,h.    12   Feb.,  18i0;  d.  4  May,  186G;  m.   Thineas   W. 

Perrin,  in  Aurora,  111.,  28  March,  1866. 
Georgiannn  D.,h.  17   Feb.,    ISio;  d.   at   Oakland,   Cal.,   12  July, 

1875;  m.  Clinton  Gushing,  M.  d.,  of  Turner,  111.,  4  May, 

I860. 
Ella  F.,  b.  28  May,  1845;  d.  18  March,  1850. 

Child  of  Mary  H. : 
Frank  M.,  b.  17  July,  1869. 

Bexjami^t  D.,^  Rev.  (Daniel,"  Capt.,  Daniel,®  Lieut.),  is  presiding 
elder  in   the  Methodist   church,  at   Middletown,  Ct. ; 
m.  there  Maria  Chandler,  April,  1848. 
Chandler,  h.  10  Aug.,  1854. 
Minnie,  h.  1857;  d.  1874. 

George,^  Dea.  (Moody  A.,'^  Gen.,   Daniel,''  Lieut.),  is  a  farmer ; 

resides  at  Tewkshur}^,  INIass.  ;  m.  Lydia  A.  Marshall, 

of  that  town,  1  April,  1852. 
Ahhy  M.,  b.  3  Sept.,  1855. 

Georr/e  E.,  b.  26  July,  18.57  ;  is  a  civil  engineer. 
Louisa  F.,  h.  2  Sept.,  1859. 
Charles  .4..  b.  21  Sept.,  1862. 
Arthur  M.,h.  17  Oct.,  1865. 
Herbert  IF.,  b.  7  June,  1868. 

Charles  S.^  (Moody  A.,''  Gen.,  Daniel, "^  Lieut.)  lives  in  London- 
derry ;  is  a  fanner,  justice  of  the  jK^ace,  and  has  filled 
various  offices  in  town  ;  m.  Mary  C.  Runnels,  of  War- 
ner, 24  Dec,  1863. 

Charles  G.,  b.  15  Feb.,  1865. 

Adams  D.,  b.  23  March,  1808;  d.  3  May,  1877. 

John  A.,  b.  26  Aug.,  1872;  d.  17  Jan.,  1873. 

Joseph  L.,^  Col.   (Joseph,''  Dea.,   Daniel,*'  Lieut.),   m.   Mary  A. 
Ely,  of  Wooster,  0.,  18  May,  1854.     [See  Biog.] 
Mary  E.,  b.  1  May,  1855;  resides  in  Wooster,  O. 
Georye  H.,  b.  18  Aug.,  1857  ;  d.  21  March,  1865. 
Charles  D.,  b.  19  Nov.,  1859. 

George  L.^  (Joseph,'^  Dea.,  Daniel,"  Lieut.),   carpenter ;  resides 
at  B.  ;  m.  there  Lucina  T.  Quimb}^,  2  Dec.,  1873. 
Joseph  Henry,  b.  23  Nov.,  1875;  d.  20  March,  1876. 
Mary  Agnes,  b.  15  Dec,  1876. 

Jonathan  K.*  (Enoch,''  Joshua,®  Capt.)  lived  at  Xashua,  after- 
wards at  AValpole,  Mass. ;  m.  Sarah  P.  Little,  of  B., 
21  Nov.,  1850. 
Mary  E.,  b.  31  Oct.,  1853;  m.  Juhus  Guild,  of  Walpole,  Ma^s,  9 
Sept.,  1875. 

-^«7*\^-'|b.  30Aug.,lS56. 
Addie  L.,   j  *' 


600  GENEALOGICAL PINKERTON, 

Caleb  K.^  (Enoch,"  Joshua,''  Capt.)  resides  in  Lawrence,  Mass.  ; 
m.  Ellen  B.  Smith,  of  Andover,  Mass.,  18  Sept.,  1862. 

Annie  S.,  b,  15  March,  1864. 
Lucretia  S.,  b.  20  Jan.,  1868. 

Joshua   P.,^   Capt.    (Enoch,''   Joshua,*'   Capt.),  lived  at  Woon- 
socket,  R.  I.  ;  m.  there  Celia  M.  Jencks,  8  Nov.,  1860. 
Sherivin  J.,  b.  23  Oct.,  1863. 
Bertha,  b.  16  July,  1865. 

Joshua^  (Joshua,"  Joshua,*'  Capt.)   m.  Ahbie  J.  Sargent,  of  Law- 
rence, Mass.,  Nov.,  1854. 
George  S.,  h.  18  May,  1856. 
Chaiies  J.,  b.  19  Marcti,  1859. 
Helen  A.,  b.  18  Dec,  1868. 

Eraxcis  E.*^  (Nathaniel,'^  Joshua,®  Capt.)   resides  in  Newbury- 
port,  Mass. ;  m.  Ahby  Lunt,  of  that  city,  May,  1852. 
Fra>}Ic  0.,  b.  27  March,   1853;  m.   Florence   A.  Ellis,  of  Walpole, 
Mass.,  25  April,  1878. 

John  AV.^  (Nathaniel,''  Joshua,"  Capt.)  m.  Hannah  B.  Merrill,  of 
Newburj'port,  Jan.,  1852. 
Helen  A.,  h.  May,  1854. 
Mattie,  h.  Feb.,  and  d.  Oct.,  1863. 
Lizzie  G.,  h.  1866. 

PINKERTON. 

Compiled  by  David  rinkerton. 

David,^  son  of  Matthew  Pinkerton.  was  born  in  Londonderry,  17 
Jime,  1775 ;  m.  Susannah,  dai;.  of  Dea.  Griffin,  of 
Londonderry;  moved  to  B.  in  1817,  and  settled  on 
the  river  road  near  Salisbury  (now  Eranklin)  line. 

John  M.,h.  15  June,  1800;  ni.  Rebecca  Hastings,  of  Littleton; 
lived  and  d.  at  Lockport,  N.  Y. 

Jane  L'.,  b.  20  Nov.,  1802;  m.  Israel  Webster,  of  Manchester;  d. 
1872. 

Hannah  D.,  b.  3  Feb.,  1806;  d.  in  1862. 

Sarah  J.,  b.  12  Nov.,  1808;  ni.  J.  B.  Robertson;  moved  to  Iowa; 
d.  1876. 

David,  b.  3  Nov.,  1813;  graduated  at  Dartmouth  college;  studied 
theology  at  Andover  Seminary;  grad.  1843;  sent  to  Wis. 
by  Home  IMiss.  Society;  m.  Mary  Ann  Hitchcock,  of 
Galesburg,  111.,  in  1845;  resides  at  Grinnell,  I.  Mary,  the 
oldest,  is  a  teacher  in  the  Zulu  mission. 

Moody  M.,  b.  9  Dec,  1815;  m.  Jane  Clark,  of  Portland,  Me.  QVo 
sons, — Myron,  the  oldest,  b.  in  B.,  18  July,  1843  ;  grad. 
at  Ripon  college,  Wis.,  July,  1868,  and  at  Chicago  Theo. 
Sem.,  April,  1871;  sailed  for  Zulu  mission,  9  Aug.,  1871, 
with  his  wife,  dau.  of  H.  H.  Byington,  Chicago,  111. 

James,  b.  24  Oct.,  1818;  m.  Mary  E.  Ilowser,  of  Salisbury  Mills, 
N.  Y. ;  lives  in  Wis. 


GENEALOGICAL PLUMMER.  601 

PLUMMEPv. 

Compiled  by  Helen  Elizabeth  Plummer. 

Tlie  Plummer  families  of  B.  were  Jescendants  of 

Prancis/  who  came  from  England  in  1633.  He  was  a  -linen 
weaver,  and  settled  in  Newbury,  Mass.,  1635.  His 
first  wife,  Euth,  d.  18  Aug.,  1647.  He  m.,  2d,  Ann 
Palmer,  who  d.  18  Oct.,  1665;  3d,  Beatrice,  widow  of 
William  Cantlehury,  of  Salem,  Mass.,  29  Nov.,  1665  ; 
/  d.   17   Jan,  1673.     The  land  owned  by  him  is  still 

held  in  the  family. 

Samuel,  b.  1619. 
Joseph,  b.  1630. 
]\[ary. 

Samuel-  (Francis^)  m.  Mary ;  d.  Jan.,  1702. 

Samuel,  b.  26  April,  1647;  m.  Joanna  Woodbury. 

Manj,h.  8  Feb.,  16.j0. 

John,  b.  11  May,  16o2. 

Ephrnim,  b.  16  Sept.,  1655. 

Hannah,  b.  16    Feb.,  16.57.  - 

Silvanus,  b.  22  Feb.,  1658. 

Ruth,  b.  7  Aug.,  1660. 

Ellsabe/h,h.  19  Oct.,  1662.^ 

Deborah,  h.  lo  March,  1665. 

Joshua,  b.  2  July,  1668  ;  )  m.  Elizabeth  Dale. 

Lydia,  b.  2  July,  1668.     \ 

Bathshlna,  b.  31  July,  1670. 

Ephraim'^  (Samuel,^  Francis^)  m.  Hannah  Jaques,  15  Jan.,  1680. 
Marij,h.  19  Feb.,  1681. 
Hannah,  b.  12  Oct.,  1682. 
Samuel,  b.  27  Oct.,  1681. 
Elizabeth,  b.  21  Nov.,  1686. 
John,  b.  7  Nov.,  1688. 
Ruth,  b.  5  Nov.,  1690. 
Daniel,  b.  10  March,  1693. 
Richard,  b.  3  Aug.,  1695. 
Bitjield,  b.  12  June,  1697. 
Sarah,  b.  26  July,  1699. 
Emma,  b.  21  June,  1701. 

Samuel*  (Ephraim,^  Samuel,-  Francis^)  m.  Elizabeth . 

John,  b.  5  Feb.,  1722. 

JoHN^  (Samuel,*  Ephraim^)  m.  Hannah . 

Bitjield,  b.  11  Feb.,  1742. 
Bitfield^  (John,^  Samuel,*  Ephrainv'')   m.   Pri.scilla   Eichardson, 
of   Chester,  Oct.,  1769  ;    came  from  Newbury  to  B. ; 
settled  on  land  still  held  by  his   descendants;    was 
killed  by  a  falling  tree,  19  Nov.,  1788. 


602  GENEALOGICAL PLUMMER. 

Ephrahn,  b.  1771. 
John,  b.  10  Aug.,  1774. 

Priscilla.  b.  12  Jan.,  1786;  ui.  Hichard  Little,  7  Dec,  1815;  d.  24 
Feb.,  1825. 

Ephraim'  (Bitfield,*'  Jolin,^  Samuel*)  m.  Eacliel,  davi.  of  Nehe- 
iiiiali    Cogswell,  31  JVIay,  1792  ;    lived  on  the  home- 
stead ;  d.^6  May,  1793. 
Ephrahn,  b.  29  Aug.,  1793. 

Ephkaim^  (Ephraim,"  Bitfield*')  m.  Lucy,  dau.  of  Henry  Geri^h, 
11  Jan.,  1821,  and  resided  on  the  homestead  inherited 
from  his  fatlier — afterwards  removed  to  the  south  part 
of  the  town ;  a  man  of  strict  integrity,  and  an  excel- 
lent citizen  ;  d.  20  July,  1872. 

Polly  Utile,  b.  23  Nov.,  1821;  m.  Henry  L.  Dodge,  17  June,  1841. 

AUel  G.,h.  -24  May,  1824. 

Priscilla  P.,  b.  28  May,  1826 ;  m.  Luther  Gage,  2  March,  1859. 

■Helen  Elizabeth,  b.  26  March,  1834. 

Frances  Ann,  b.  IS  Nov.,  1837  ;  m.  Albert  Reed,  26  Nov.,  1864. 

Abiel^  (Ephraim,^  Ephraim'')  m.  Kate  Baughman,  5  June,  1855  ; 
resides  at  West  Creek,  Ind. 
Frank  B.,h.  16  Jan.,  18.58. 
Albert  R.,  b.  14  March,  1863. 
Edwin,  b.  19  Aug.,  1864. 

John"^  (Bitfield")  m.  Hannah  Jackman,  1  Jan.,  1799 ;  d.  24  Feb., 
1827. 

Bitfield,  h.  9  Nov.,  1799. 

Nanoj,  b.  7  Sept.,  1801:  ni.  Daniel  Emerson;  d.  11  IMarch,  1858. 
Jeremiah,  b.  8  Oct.,  18ii3;  d.  1  July,  1867,  at  Lancaster,  Pa. 
Mary,  b.  25  Aug.,  1805;  m.  Charles  Abbot,  of  Lowell,  Mass.  ;  d. 

Dec,  1868. 
Hannah,  b.  31  March,  1807  ;  d.  9  Sept.,  1823. 
Frederick  T.,  b.  15  Sept.,  1809  ;  d.  24  March,  1815. 
George  W.,  b.  29  July,  1814;  d.  10  July,  1841. 
Frederick  T.,  h.  26  July,  1817;  d.  25  Nov.,  1853. 
Nathan,  b.  21  July,  1821;  d.  2  Nov.,  1873. 

Bitfield^  (John,^  Bitfield")  m.  Susan  Chadwick,  2  Nov.,  1835  ;  d. 
23  Oct.,  1875. 
Hannah  M.,  b,  5  Sept.,  1836  ;  d.  13  June,  1838. 
Frank  J.,h.  16  Feb.,  1844. 

Jeremiah^  (John,''  Bitfield")  m.  Electa  Day,  of  Springfield,  Mass., 
23  April,  1843;  d.  13  July,  1867. 
Elizabeth  Hamlin,  b.  14  June,  1845;  m.  William  Fowler,  25  Dec. 

1869. 
George  W.,  b.  26  Aug.,  1846;  d.  4  Aug.,  1849. 
Mary  Frances,  7  ,     to   t„„„   loio  .  1  ^1-  -^  Aug.,  1850. 
Frank,  T'  ^-  '^""^'  ^^^^  '  j  d.  20  June,  1849. 


GENEALOGICAL PLUMMER.  603 

Mary  Frances,  h.  30  May,  1854. 

Jeremiah,  d.  from  injuries  received  by  a  boiler  explosion,  18  July, 
1867. 

Frank  J.»  (Bitfield/ John")  in.  Abbie  D.  Knowles,  17  Sept.,  1868. 

Hannah  Louise,  b.  27  Feb.,  1872. 
3fary  Ahhie,  b.  20  Dec,  1873. 
Charlotle  M.,h.  4  April,  1875. 

^eo;r/.i5./>W,?^_23Aug.,1876. 
Inez  hvn,  ^  ° 

Sarah  Angenette,  b.  4  Nov.,  1877. 

Anotlier  branch  of  the  Plummer  family  canie  from  Newbury, 
Mass.     The  first  Avas 

Joseph  ^ 

BEJf JAMIJS-"  m.  Mary  Wood. 

Nathax,''  b.  in  Rowley,  Mass, 

Nathan*  moved  from  Newbury,  Mass. ;  m.  Elizabeth  Dustin,  18 
Oct.,  1771;  d.  on  B.  Plain,  1773. 

Mehitahle,  b.  25  Feb.,  1772;  m.  Col.  Benj.  Choate,  20  Nov.,  1793; 

d.  at  Enfield,  17  Dec,  1858. 
Nathan,  b.  in  B.,  2  April,  1774. 

Nathan^  (Nathan,*  Nathan,^  Benjamin,-  Joseph^)  m.  Sarah,  dau. 
«  of  Samuel  Ames,  14  June,  1804,  and  settled  on  Fish 
street.  A  persevering  and  energetic  business  man. 
To  the  care  of  his  farm  he  added  the  business 
of  lumbering.  A  good  citizen,  and  highly  esteemed  ; 
represented  B.  in  legislature  two  terms  ;  d.  7  April, 
1848.     Sarah  d.  25  Feb.,  1842. 

Mehitahle,  b.  14  June,  1806;  m.  1st,  Joseph  Gerrish,  11  Nov.,  1830; 

2d,  Thomas  Lyford,  of  Sanbornton,  16  Nov.,  1854:  d.  at 

Fisherville.  15  Feb.,  1877; 
3Iari/,  b.  16  Jan.,  1810;  m.  Fisher  Ames,  of  Canterbury,  15  Feb., 

1844.     [See  Ames  Gen.] 
Eliza   Jane,  b.  31  Oct.,  1814;  m.  Dearborn  Glines,  11  June,  1846; 

d.  2  Sept.,  1877. 

Another  branch  of  the  Plummer  family  : 

Joshua  C,  Capt.,  son  of  Samuel  and  Dorcas  (Coffin)  Plummer, 
came  to  Boscawen  from  Newbury,  Mass.,  while  a  youth, 
and  lived  with  his  uncle,  Caleb  Knight,  Esq  ;  after- 
wards settled  upon  the  Knight  homestead, — the  farm 
now  owned  by  Capt.  George  W.  Stone.  He  is  re- 
membered as  a  man  of  culture,  of  gentlemanly  bearing, 
39 


604  GENEALOGICAL PRICE. 

and  one  who  was  active  in  the  promotion  of  religion 
and  good  order.  Removed  to  Bangor,  Me,  1829;  d. 
there  10  Dec,  1844.  He  m.,  1st,  Eunice  Knight,  21 
March,  1816;  2d,  Sophia  W.  Dix,  25  Dec,  1828. 

Children  of  Eunice : 

Calel  K.,  b.  5  Dec,  1816;  d.  28  Oct.,  1818. 
Charles  F.,  b.  4  Jan.,  1819;  d.  4  Sept.,  18-20. 

Lucretia  A.,  b.  22  Aug.,  1820;  d.   ;]   Dec,  1864;  m.  Charles  Tem- 
ple. 
Louisa.h.  26  Aug.,  1822;  d.  12  Julv.  1876. 
William  L.,  b.  11  May,  1824  ;  d.  17  Dec,  1874. 
Catharine  K.,  b.  29  April,  182G;  d.  26  Nov.,  1828. 
Eunice,  b.  16  Sept.,  1827;  d.  10  Jan.,  1828. 

Children  of  Sophia : 
George  D.,  b.  8  March,  1830;  d.  at  Memphis,  Tenn.,  12  Oct.,  1873. 

Freddie,  }  ■,    ■     ■   <• 

T,  7  ,•      '  >  d.  HI  niiancy. 

Eddie,     S 

Frances  M.  P.,  b.  23  Dec,  1833  ;  ra.  Edward  L.  Pickard. 

Lucy  H.,h.G  July,  1836;  m.  Chapin,  Otsego,  Mich. 

Edward  D.,  d.  Feb.,  1814. 

John  A.,  h.  4  May,  1841. 

Katherine  M.,h.  29  April,  1845. 

PRICE. 

Ebenezer,-'  Rev.,  son  of  William  and  Sarah  Price,  was  b.  in 
Newburyport,  14  Sept.,  1771;  m.  Lucy  Fari;er;  d.  19 
Feb.,  1864.     [See  Biog.] 

Mary  F.,  b.  26  Dec,  1804;  m.  Rev.  Addison  Kingsbury,  d.  d.;  re- 
sides in  Zanesville,  O. 

Lucij  Ellsworth,  b.  17  Jan.,  1808;  d.  20  March,  1859. 

Einily  Preston,  b.  25  Oct.,  1809;  m.  Rev.  Zerah  H.  Hawley;  lives 
in  Memphis,  Tenn. 

Ehenezer  Sewall,  b.  1  Feb.,  1812  ;  m.  Elizabeth  Wilson,  of  Boston, 
Mass.  He  was  trained  to  mercantile  pursuits,  which  he 
followed  in  B.,  and  afterwards  in  Boston;  and  subsequent- 
ly for  nearly  20  years  was  in  the  U.  S.  revenue  service  in 
Boston,  Mass. 

Frederic  C.,b.  6  Aug.,  1815  ;  was  educated  at  Dartmouth;  removed 
to  the  West;  m.  Mary  Belt;  practised  as  a  physician. 


GENEALOGICAL PUTNEY.  605 


PUTNEY. 

Compiled  by  Jliss  Ida  Putney,  of  Webster. 

Tlie  Putney  familj^  came  from  Scotland.  The  B.  branch  are 
descendants  of  a  family  that  settled  in  Dunbarton.  In  1752,  Sam- 
uel Putney^  and  a  citizen  by  the  name  of  Kimball  were  captured 
by  Indians,  who  also  undertook  to  surprise  the  settlement  at 
Contoocook,  but  who  were  themselves  surprised  by  the  set- 
tlers near  the  "  Mountain."  In  their  haste  to  escape  they  left 
young  Putney  behind.  He  settled  on  "  Putney  hill,"  in  Hopkin- 
ton.     His  sons  were  Joseph,  William,  Enoch,  Samuel,  Stephen. 

Stephen^  (SamueP),  b.  12  Peb.,  17G5;  enlisted  as  soldier  in  the 
Kevolution, — served  one  year  and  three  months.  In 
1795  he  purchased  a  piece  of  land  of  Wm.  Coffin,  of 
Newbury,  Mass.,  and  cleared  his  farm,  now  occupied 
by  his  son,  Charles  E.  Putney ;  m.,  1st,  Sally  East- 
man, of  Ilopkinton,  who  d.  1809  ;  2d,  Susan  Eastman  ; 
3d,  Sail}''  Eastman,-^three  wives  of  the  name  of  East- 
man, and  the  first  and  third  named  Sally.  The  record 
of  six  of  the  twelve  children  of  Sally,  1st,  is  wanting. 
Stephen  Putney  was  the  father  of  22  children.  He 
was  an  industrious  man,  and  an  estimable  citizen.  He 
d.  18  Feb.,  1847. 

Children  of  Sally  : 
yelson,  b.  10  Aug.,  178(3. 
Enoch,  h.  15  July,  1788. 
True,  b.  March,  1800. 
Plwna. 
Hannah. 
Stephen. 

Children  of  Susan : 

Clarissa. 

Sarah. 

David,  b.  5  Aug.,  1812. 

Lucy,  b.  2  July,  1814. 

Azariah. 

Children  of  Sally  : 

Charles 'Monson,  b.  1  Oct.,  1820;  d.  15  Sept.,  1821. 

Martj  Angaline,  b.  6  July,  1825;  d.  20  July,  1825. 

Charles  E.,  b.   10  June,  1827  ;  m.  Susan,  dau.  of  John  Sanborn  ; 

lives  in  AVebster. 
Semantha  S.,h.  3  Aug.,   1829;  m.   Dustia   Spauldiug ;  resides  in 
Contoocook. 

Nelson^  (Stephen/^  SamueP),  b.  10  Aug.,  1786;  m.  Sally  Whit- 
tier;  moved  to  Woodstock,  Vt.  ;  d.  20  April,  1872. 


606  GENEALOGICAL PUTNEY, 

Louis  S.,  b.  17  July,  1810;  d.  1  Dec,  1839. 

Thomas  Elliot,  h.  5   Jan.,  1816. 

Hannah,  b.  12  July,  1817;  d.  17  April,  1833. 

Thomas  E.*  (Nelson,^  Stephen^),  b.  5  Jan.,  181G  ;  m.  Lucretia 
Hoyt,  of  Concord. 

Sarah  H.,  b.  26  July,  1818 ;   m.  Marsh. 

Benjamin  F.,  b.  9  Oct.,  1815;  d.  12  May,  1867. 
True  Nelson,  h.  Nov.,  1847. 

Roxa  Ann,  b.  5  July,  1850;  m.  Leonard. 

Jason  i.,  b.  6  March,  1853. 

Rhoda  E.,  b.  16  March.  1857  ;  d.  25  Nov.,  1870. 

Maria  H.,  b.  30  April,  1862. 

Enoch^  (Stephen^),  b.  15  July,  1788 ;  m.  Sally  Carlton ;  settled 
on  the  place  now  owned  byErancis  S.  Putney,  in  W. ; 
d.  2  March,  1853. 

Frances  S.,  b.  20  Oct.,  1818. 

Moses,  b.  14  Dec,  1820  ;  d.  10  Nov.,  1841. 

Clarissa,  b.  21  Sept.,  1824;  d.  3  June,  1816. 

Erancis  S.4  (Enoch,='  Stephen,'^  SaniueP),  b.  20  Oct.,  1820;  m. 
Nancy  Sibley. 

Willie,  b.  23  Sept.,  1844  ;  d.  11  Feb.,  1844. 

Frank,  b.  12  April,  1847;  d.  23  Dec,  1849. 

Willie,  b.  24  March,  1840  ;  ni.  Jennie,  dau.  Wra.  D.  Call,  of  B. 

Clara,  b.  28  Sept.,  1850;  d.  1878. 

Mary  Anna,  b.  25  Dec,  1852;  m.  Sheldon  Scribner. 

Josephine,  b.  16  Dec,  1854;  d.  26  Dec,  1857. 

Ori(ien,h.  20  Dec,  1850. 

Luther,  b.  26  July,  1859. 

FrecLh.  21  Jan.,  1866. 

True3  (Stephen,^  SamueP),  b.  Nov.,  1800;  m.  Hester  Ann  Caull, 
of  Cambridge,  Md. ;  stone-mason.  The  firm  of  Sweatt 
&  Co.,  of  wliich  he  was  a  member,  laid  the  first  track 
on  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad,  from  the  Relay 
House  to  Ellicott's  Mills, — six  miles  in  six  weeks.  At 
that  time  (1830-1835)  railroad  engineering  required 
stone  ties,  or  longitudinal  blocks  of  granite  to  which 
the  rails  were  spiked.  He  also  laid  a  longitudinal 
track  of  stone  from  Ellicott's  Mills  to  Morrillsville, — 
ten  miles, — requiring  100,000  cubic  feet  of  stone ; 
also  a  track  from  Erenchtown  to  Newcastle,  in  Dela- 
ware ;  also  track  upon  other  roads  in  Maryland.  In 
1836-'37  he  supplied  the  government  with  stone  for 
the  public  warehouse  in  Baltimore.  In  1838-'39  he 
furnished  stone  for  the  government  in  Washington. 
In  1855  he  was  appointed  master-mason  on  the  new 
treasury  building,  Washington,  holding  the  position 


GENEALOGICAL — QUIMBY.  607 

till  1864.     That  massive  building  has  risen  wholly 
under  his  superintendence.     He  resides  in  Washing- 
ton. 
Plummer,  SaraJi,  George,  Benjamin^  Lucy, — all  d.  young. 

David^  (Stephen,- SamueP),  b.  5  Aug.,  1812;  settled  in  Mary- 
land. 

Stephen,  Georrje,  True,  Lucij,  Scmanllia. 

Charles  E.^  (Stephen,^  Samuel,^),  b.  10  June,  1827;  m.  Susan 
Sanborn. 

7r/«/.,  b.  21  Oct.,  1851. 
Charles  H.,  b.  19  Feb.,  1853. 
Joh7i  S.,  b.  27  Jan.,  185.'>. 
Corn  E.,  b.  29  Sept.,  1858. 
Bertha  May,  b.  6  July,  18(58. 

QUIMBY. 

Isaac,!  b.  at  New  Chester  (Hill),  1  Nov.,  1784;  d.  7  Feb,  1848; 
m.  Polly  Sargent,  of  New  Chester,  Nov.,  1812,  who 
was  b.  31  Oct.,  1781,  and  d.  29  Dec.,  1844. 
Tirzah  J.,  h.  12  Sept.,  181.'5;  m.  Luther  Winchester,  of  Providence, 

11.  I. 
Joh7i  S.,  b.  28  June,  1823;  d.  8  Sept.,  1876,  at  B. 

JoHjS^  S.^  (Isaac^)  settled  in  B.  in  1852;  m.  Jane  B.  Dustin,  of 
Hill,  27  Nov.,  1845;  who  was  b.  31  July,  1825.  She 
is  the  sixth  gen.  in  descent  from  Hannah  Dustin. 

Andrew  E.,  b.  4  Jan.,  1817. 

Mary  J.,  b.  30  Nov.,  1818:  m.  Charles  II.  Weeks,  of  West  Thorn- 
ton, 13  March,  1867. 

Lucina  T.,  b.  11  June,  1851;  m.  George  L.  Pillsbury,  of  B.,  2  Dec. 
1873. 

George  Z.,  h.  8  Nov.,   1853. 

JohnC.  b.  16  July,  1856. 

Annie  M.,  b.  17  April,  1859;  d.  15  Oct.,  1863. 

Edward  IF.,  b.  7  Oct.,  1864. 

Mattie  H.,  b.  5  April,  1868. 

AxDREW  E.^  (John  S.,^  Isaac^)  is  station  agent  at  North  B.  ;  m. 
Alice  N.  Page,  of  Thornton,  10  Dec,  1873. 
George  A.,}).  11  Oct.,  1874. 


608  GENEALOGICAL ROLFE, 

EOLFE. 

Compiled  by  John  Kimball. 

The  ancestors  of  tlie  Eolfe  families  in  B.  and  Concord  were 
two  brothers,  who  came  from  England  and  settled  in  Newhury, 
Mass.,  about  1635.  The  tradition  was,  that  these  brothers  were 
the  ancestors  of  all  the  Eolfes  in  this  country ;  but  the  records  of 
Ipswich,  Mass.,  show  that  in  1640  there  were  two  men  in  that 
town  by  the  name  of  Daniel  and  Ezra  Eolfe:  so  this  tradition  is 
erroneous. 

Henky,^  with  his  wife  Honour,  and  his  brother  John,  with  his 
wife  Esther,  were  in  Newbury  before  1642. 
John,  Benjamin^  and  two  daughters. 

John-  (Henry^)  m.  and  lived  a  short  time  in  Newbury,  then 
moved  to  Nantucket,  and  from  there  to  Cambridge. 
He  had  14  or  15  children.  Five  of  his  sons  went  to 
Woodbridge,  N.  J.  Their  descendants  generally  spell 
their  name  Eolph. 

Benjamin-  (Henry^)  m.  Apphia,  only  daughter  of  Thomas  Hale, 
an  early  settler  in  Newbury,  and  the  ancestor  of  the 
Hales  in  New  England  and  New  York. 
John,  Benjamin,  Henry,  Nathaniel,  Samuel,  and  four  daughters. 

JoHN^  (Benjamin,^  Henry^)  Avas  the  ancestor  of  the  families  of 
that  name  who  settled  in  B. 
John. 

Benjamin^  (Benjamin-)  was  the  minister  killed  by  the  Indians 
in  their  attack  at  Haverhill,  Mass.,  in  1708. 

Henry^  (Benjamin^)  was  the  ancestor  of  the  Eolfe  families  of 
Concord. 

Nathajiiel. 
John*  (John,^  Benjamin,-  Henry^)  m.  Judith  Dole,  7  Oct.,  1713. 

Bdchard,  b.  14  Feb.,  171G;  d.  23  Dec,  1735. 

John,  b.  10  Feb..  1718;  d.  young. 

Hannah,  b.  25  Dec.  1720;  m.  Nathaniel  Eolfe.* 

Enoch,  b.  25  Feb.,  1725  or  1726;  m.  Ruth  llsley. 

Benjamin,  b.  25  Dec,  1731. 

Benjamin^  (John,*  John,^  Benjamin,-  Henry ^)  came  from  New- 
bury, Mass. ;  m.  Lydia  Pearsons,  25  Dec,  1760 ;  set- 
tled on  High  street;  d.  1823. 

John,  b.  27  July,  17G2. 

Elizabeth,  called  Betsey,  b.  20  Feb.,  1765  ;  d.  June,  1853. 

Silas,  b.  8  Jan.,  1767;  d.  1846. 


GENEALOGICAL ROLFE.  609 

Judith,  b.  31  Dec,  1769  ;  d.  April,  1817. 
Amos,  d.  young. 
Benjamin,  b.  20  Jan.,  1773. 

JoHN^  (Benjamin^  )  settled  on  Battle  street ;  cl.  Sept.,  1833. 

John,  b.  9  May,  1785;  m.  Rosanna  Burbank,  31  May,  1814. 

Amns.'h.  12  April,  1787;  d.  27  Jan.,  1811. 

Lydia,  b.  25  Sept.,  1791;  d.  Feb.,  1875. 

Michael,  b.  10  Feb.,  1793;  d.  28  Jan.,  1810. 

Eliza,  b.  29  July,  1797. 

JwVuh,  b.  13  Feb..  1799. 

Paul,  b.  27  Oct.,  1802  ;  d.  Sept.,  1824. 

Nancy,  b.  25  Sept.,  1806;  d.  27  ]\larch,  1830. 

Susan  P.,  b.  Sept.,  1808;  d.  17  Oct.,  1877. 

Jeremiah,  b.  8  Jan.,  1812. 

SiLAS«  (Benjamiir')  m.  Nancy  Perkins;  moved  to  northern  K  Y. 
Sarah,  h.  5  April,  1791. 
Amos,  b.  7  July,  1795. 
Pearson,  b.  20  Sept.,  1798. 
Benjamin,  b.  15  March,  1800. 

BE^fjAMiN*^  (Benjamin^)  succeeded  to  the  homestead  of  his  father; 
ni.  Margaret,  dau.  of  Rev.  Jonathan  Searle,  of  Salis- 
bury. He  had  a  fondness  for  mechanical  labor  ;  and 
in  addition  to  the  cares  of  his  farm  employed  himself 
making  wood  aqueducts  and  pumps.  Nearly  all  of 
tliat  kind  of  business  in  the  east  part  of  the  town  was 
done  under  his  direction.  Many  of  liis  pumps  made 
from  the  old  iohite  pine  are  now  in  iise,  and  are  pre- 
ferred by  some  to  the  modern  inventions.  He  d.  19 
Jan.,  1857. 

Three  children,  d.  voung. 

Enoch  Sanborn,  b.  12  May,  1819. 

Henry  Pearsons,  b.  13  Feb.,  1821. 

Charles  Benjamin,  b.  April,  1823;  d.  1  Oct.,  1851. 

Amos''  (John,^  Benjaniin,^)  m.  Fanny  Burhank,  18  Nov.,  1813. 

Daml  C.,b.  17  Feb.,  1815. 

Louisa,  b.  5  Sept.,  1816;  m.  N.  Colby;  d.  11  Nov.,  1848. 

William,  b.  8  Aug.,  1819;  d.  13  Feb.,  1844. 

Rosannah,  b.  7  Nov.,  1821;  m.  Lugby  Sherwood. 

Albert,  b.  3  June,  1824. 

Hiram,  b.  10  May,  1827;  d.  24  Aug.,  1854. 

Harriet,  b.  1  Feb.,  1829  ;  d.  11  July,  1849. 

Melissa,  b.  7  March,  1832;  d.  23  June,  1867. 

Jeremiah''  (John,®  Benjamin^)  m.  Lucy  Ann,  dau.  of  Caleb 
Smith,  4  Oct.,  1843.  In  early  life  he  manifested  a 
love  for  mechanical  labor.  In  manhood  his  services 
were  in  demand  by  bridge-builders,  mill-owners,  and 


610 


GENEALOGICAL ROLFE. 


carpenters,  from  whom  he  obtained  constant  emploj-- 
nient  and  good  compensation.  Declining  health  com- 
j^elled  him  to  return  to  his  farm  on  High  strt'ct. 

John  Smith,  b.  11  Feb.,  1850;  drowned  in  Merrimack  rivor,  17  Julv, 
1870.  ^ 

Kate  EuL-ie,  b.  10  May,  1S5G  ;  d.  1  July,  1865. 

Henry  Pearsoxs'  (Benjamin"),  educated  at  New  Hampton  In- 
stitution, and  entered  Dartmouth  coll. ;  graduated  in 
1848  ;  studied  law  in  the  office  of  Asa  Fowler,  of  Con- 
cord; admitted  to  practice,  ISol,  forming  a  co-partner- 
ship with  the  late  A.  S.  Marshall ;  elected  to  the  leg- 
islature from  Concord,  1858,  and  after  the  city  was 
incorporated,  from  Ward  5,  1863,  1864;  appointed 
U.  S.  district  attorney  for  IST.  H.,  by  President  Grant, 
1869,  an  office  he  held  till  1874;  m.  Marv  Rebecca, 
dau.  of  Eobert  H.  Sherburne,  22  Nov.,  1853. 

Marshall  P.,  b.  29  Sept.,  1851;  d.  6  Aug.,  1862. 

Manjaret  F.,  b.  12  Jan.,  1857  ;  d.  2  May,  1857. 

Henrietta  M.,  h.  17  Jan.,  1801  ;  d.  22  Sept.,  1862. 

BoJjert  Henry,  b.  IG  Oct.,  1863. 

George  Hamilton,  b.  21  Dec,  1866. 

David  C.^  (Amos'')  m.  Mary  E.  Smith,  June,  1856. 
George,  b.  31  May,  1857. 
Frank,  b.  11  Nov.,  1861. 
Lewis,  b.  2U-Scpt.,  18G4 ;  d.  15  Sept.,  1877. 

Albert^  (Amos')  m.  Mary  Alexander,  Claremont. 
Angle,  b.  17  Dec,  1859. 

The  Rolfe  families  of  Concord  were  connected  with   those    of 
B.,  viz.  : 

Nathaniel*  (Heniy,^  Benjamin'-)  married 

Hannah^   (John,*  John,^  Benjamin-)  had  nine  children.     They 
moved  to   Concord,   and  settled  on   what  is  now  the 
city  farm  in  Ward  3. 
Nathaniel^   (Nathaniel*)    m.  widow  Judith   Chandler,   dau.   of 
Rev.  Timothy  Walker,  and  settled  near  the  mouth  of 
Contoocook  river;  d.  15  Nov.,  1829. 
Ahiel,  b.  6  April,  1781;  unmarried;  d.  19  Feb.,  1840. 
Jane,  b.  21  Jan.,  1782;  m.  Nathan  Chandler. 
Henrg,  h.  31  Aug.,  1785;  m.  Deborah  Carter. 

Benjamin^  (Nathaniel,*  Henry,^  Benjamin,^  Henry^),  b.  in  Hav- 
erhill, Mass.,  31  May,  1752;  m.  Molly  Sweatt,  and 
had  six  children.     The  youngest, — 


GENEALOGICAL RUSS,  SLEEPER. 


611 


Benjamin,^  b.  in  Rumford,  Me.,  10  "Feb.,  1796;  m.  Mary  K. 
Elanders,  dau.  of  Mrs.  David  Jackman,  of  B.,  28  Dec, 
1820  ;  lived  at  the  toll-house  at  B.  bridge  for  a  time  ; 
settled  in  Concord;  d.  12  Jan.,  1807. 

Harriet,  b.  8  July,  1822  ;  ra.  John  W.  Brown. 

Hiram,  b.  24  Dec.  1825;  m.  Georgianna  Coombs. 

Mary  Ann,  b.  30  Nov.,  1828  ;  m.  A.  C.  Osborne  ;  d.  3  Feb.,  1854. 

Charlotte,  b.  20  Sept.,  1833;  m.  Jonathan  C.  Harvey. 

David  Jackman,  b.  29  April,  1838;  m.  Adelia  Carner. 

Eliza  Newell,  b.  4  Feb.,  1842  ;  d.  30  Sept.,  1864. 

EUSS. 
Joiix  ()}  m.  Sophronia  S.,  dan.  of  Wm.  II.  Gage. 

/.saac  Gage.  b.  2  Sept.,  1836. 
John  Franklin,  b.  29  June,  1839. 
William  G.,  h.  May,  1844;  d.  in  infancy. 

Isaac  Gage^  (John  O.^),  b.  2  Sept.,  1836;  m.,  1st,  Semantha  R. 
Lang;  2d,  Betsey  Stevens  ;  3d,  Ann  Dickey. 

Child  of  Betsey : 
Soplironia  G.,  b.  24  Aug.,  1869. 
Joiix  Franklin^  (John  0.^),  b.   29  Jan.,   1839  ;  ni.  Augusta  J. 
Plumer. 
Harnj,  h.  7  Sept.,  18(55. 
Ernest,  b.  19  .June,  1876. 

SLEEPER. 

Nehemiah  D.,-  Rev.  (Thomas^),  b.  in  Andover,  3  July,  1793;  m. 
Charlotte,  dau.  of  James  Taylor,  of  Sutton,  31  Jan., 
1S22;  moved  to  B.  in  1835,  and  became  minister  of 
the  Christian  Union  Religious  Society,  remaining  till 
1842.  He  resided  in  the  house  now  occupied  by 
Horace  Simpson.  His  wife  d  1  Dec,  1839.  His 
preaching  was  acceptable  to  his  church,  and  he  labored 
zealously  while  in  town.  He  resides  at  Contoocook. 
Caroline,}).  IS  May,  1826;  m.  Chas.  11.  Jackman;  moved  to  Maine. 
Joseph  T.,  b.  7  Dec,  1834;  m.  Helen  R.  Dole,  17  Jan.,  1860;  re- 
sides in  Concord. 


612  GENEALOGICAL SMITH,  STONE. 

SMITH. 

Ambrose,^  Rev.,  b.  in  Ossipee,  9  July,  1820 ;  m.  Cynthia  M. 
Edgerton.     [See  Biog.] 

Francis  E.,  b.  in  Northfield,  Vt.,  8  April,  1851;  m.  Eliza  A. 
Currier,  13  May,  1873;  farmer;  lives  in  Hartford,  Vt. 

L7/ndo7i  A.,  \).  in  B.,  15  July,  1854;  member  of  the  class  of  '80, 
Dartmouth  collefre. 

Juslin  Harvei/,  b.  in  B.,  13  Jan.,  1857;  grad.  at  Dart,  coll.,  1877. 
He  was  one  of  live  who  have  obtained  perfect  marks  in 
Dartmouth  since  its  founding,  in  1769;  appointed  private 
secretar)^  to  the  superintendent  of  schools  of  Boston,  and 
was  principal  of  the  Keponsct  evening  school.  In  1878 
was  appointed  literary  assistant  to  Hon.  John  D.  Phil- 
brick,  superintendent  of  the  United  States  educational  ex- 
hibit at  the  Paris  Exposition  of  1878. 

STONE. 

Compiled  by  Alfred  Little. 

George,^  Capt.,  was  b.  at  Lexington,  Mass.,  21  ]March,  1760,  and 
d.  at  West  B.,  8  Dec,  1834.  He  was  a  soldier  of  the 
Eevolution,  enlisting  at  the  age  of  15,  and  served  five 
years  ;  participated  in  the  battles  of  Brandywine, 
Stillwater,  and  other  engagements  ;  witnessed  the  sur- 
render of  Burgoyne ;  endured  the  suffering  and  priva- 
tion of  the  Avinter  encampment  at  Valley  Forge  ;  and 
was  wounded  at  the  battle  of  IMonmoutli.  On  the  re- 
turn of  peace,  he  settled  in  B.,  but  the  depreciation  of 
Continental  money  left  him  so  poor  that  he  had  only 
twenty  cents  to  begin  life  with.  By  industry  he  was 
soon  able  to  j^urchase  twenty  acres,  upon  which  he 
commenced  farming,  and  in  time  acquired  land  suffi- 
cient to  give  each  of  his  eight  children  a  homestead. 
He  m.,  1st,  Hannah  Lovering,  of  Kingston,  about 
1788,  who  d.  27  Dec,  182G,  \aged  65;  2d,  Abigail 
Currier,  of  Canterbury,  in  1830,  who  d.  18  April, 
1849,  aged  66. 

Children  of  Hannah  : 

Sarah,  h.  28  Dec,  1789;  d.  9  Jan.,  1858;  m.  Moses  Call,  of  Salis- 
bury, iu  1829,  who  d.  1  May,  1848. 

John,  b.  28  Feb.,  1792  ;  d.  25  Jan.,  1870. 

Amos,  b.  20  June,  1794  ;  d.  5  Feb.,  1875. 

PoUi/,  b.  27  May,  1797;  m.  Benj.  C.  Swasey,  of  Cantei'bury,  1831. 

Peter,  h.  11  Dec,  1799. 

Georr/e  IF.,  b.  5  Sept.,  1802. 

Hannah,  b.  14  Feb.,  1801;  d.  27  Nov.,  1804;  m.  Samuel  D.  Couch, 
of  AVest  B..2G  April,  1830. 

Eoyal,  b.  27  July,  1807. 


GENEALOGICAL STONE. 


61{ 


JoHN^  (George/  Capt.)  lived  on  Battle  st.,  Webster  ;  was  drafted 
ill  1814  for  three  montlis,  and  stationed  at  Forts- 
moutli ;  m.  Submit  Sweatt,  of  West  B. 

Benjamin  S.,h.  16  June,  1815  ;  lives  on  Battle  st.;  in.  Frances  C, 

dan.  of  Z.  G.  "W- hitman,  Esq.,  West  B.,  2S  July,  1840. 
Hiram  G.,  b.  24  May,  1822. 

Amos'-  (George/  Capt.)  lived  on  Battle  st.,  afterwards  at  Canter- 
bury ;  m.  Nancy  A.  Couch,  of  West  B.,  31  Dec,  1818, 
who  d.  22  Nov.,  1874. 

Mary  A.,h.  1  Aug.,  1819;  m.,  1st,  Geo.  W.  Shackford,  of  Bar- 
rington,  27  Nov..  1842;  2d,  Frank  C.  Smith,  of  Con- 
cord, 13  March,  1855. 

Eliza  C.,h.  14  Oct.,  1820;  m.  Benj.  F.  Call,  of  Salisbury,  27 
Nov.,  1815. 

Gilman  C,  b.  11  March,  1823. 

Ira  A.,  h.  13  June,  1825;  d.  15  Oct.,  1846. 

Joseph  Warren,  b.  10  Oct.,  1827. 

Hannah  A.,  b.  12  April,  1830;  m.  John  B.  Sanborn,  of  Concord,  2 
April,  1856. 

Henn/  F.,  b.  20  Aug.,  1833. 

Roijal  H,  b.  15  June,  1837;  d.  9  March,  1842. 

Naiicy  /.,  b.  13  Oct..  1839;  d.  13  March,  1842. 

Mijro'n  H.,  b.  18  March,  1843. 

Peter/  Dea.  (George,^  Capt.),  resides  at  the  homestead  on  Prov- 
ince road,  near  the  Blackwater ;  m.  Ruth  Call,  of  B., 
27  Dec,  1824,  who  was  b.  31  Dec,  1802  [see  Biog.]. 

Phehe  C,  h.  24  Sept.,  1825;  d.  22  July,  1863;  m.  John  A, 
McClure,  of  B.,  March,  1848. 

Charles  J.  F.,  b.  21  April.  1827 ;  d.  19  April,  1860. 

Hannah  E.,  b.  12  Dec,  1828;  d.  26  Oct.,  1865;  m.  Geo.  T.  San- 
born, of  West  B.,  13  Jan.,  1850. 

,S7/a,s  C,  b.  14  Nov.,  1830. 

Marj/  /.,  b.  18  Sept.,  and  d.  22  Nov.,  1832. 

Marij  J.,  b.  3  Nov.,  1833;  m.  Moses  F.  Heath,  of  West  B.,  25 
June,  1852. 

Buth  E.,  b.  18  Dec,  1835;  d.  23  March,  1841. 

Charlotte  A.,  b.  25  Feb.,  1839  ;  m.,  1st,  John  Sawyer,  of  Concord  ; 
2d,  Joshua  Surgent,  of  San  Francisco,  Cai.,  Aug.,  1865. 

Frederick  P.,  b.  24  March,  1841. 

Nathan  /.,  b.  11  June,  1843. 

Emma  R.,  b.  6  July,  1845;  m.  Frank  II.  Svvett,  of  Audover,  9 
Oct.,  1863  :  resides  in  Santa  Rosa,  Cal. 

George  W.,^  Capt.  (George,^  Capt.),  resides  in  Webster,  on  the 
farm  formerly  owned  by  Caleb  Knight,  Esq. ;  ni.  Julia 
A.  Sweatt,  of  West  B.,"  13  May,  1833. 
Caroline,  b.  4  March,  1834;  d.  4  Sept.,  1842. 
Catharine,  b.  20  Oct.,  1838 ;  d.  19  Feb.,  1863  ;  m.  Joseph  Warren 

Stone,  of  West  B.,  29  Nov.,  1855. 
CurusA.,  b.  10  Jan.,  1812. 


614  .  GENEALOGICAL STONE. 

Marcia  A.,  b.  4  April,  1844;  d.  7  :N"ov.,  1862. 

Ella  F.,  b.  26  Nov.,  1846. 

George  Henrj/,  b.  17  Feb.,  18-50;  m.  Lottie  J.  Seavey,  of  B.,  3  Jan., 

1877. 
Marietta,  b.  17  Aug.,  1852;  m.  Beiij.    Pettengill,  of  Salisbury,  13 

May,  1870. 
Julia  Augusta,  b.  18  May,  1856. 

RoYAL^  (George,^  Capt.)  settled  in  Andover;  m.  Eutli  Currier, 
of  Canterlnuy,  who  was  b.  19  Sept.,  1821. 

Christiana  C,  b.  1840  [?];  m.,  1st,  Richard  Davis;  2d, Man- 
uel, of  Franklin. 

George  R.,  h.  16  May,  1843 ;  grad.  at  Dart.  coll.  ;  practised  law  at 
Lynn,  Mass.;  m.  Ella  M.  Chandler,  of  Me. 

Hiram  G.^  (Jolin,^  George,^  Capt.),  resides  on  Battle  st.,  Web- 
ster ;  has  been  successful  as  a  writer,  farmer,  and  or- 
chardist ;  m.,  1st,  Mary  Ann  C.  Ticknor,  of  Lebanon, 
26  Jan.,  1847,  who  d.  10  Nov.,  1856 ;  2d,  Lucinda 
Lane,  of  Epsom,  5  Dec,  1857. 

Children  of  Mary  Ann  : 
Ilelvin  2'.,  b.  28  July,  1854. 
Mar?/  Ann  T.,  h.  18  Aug.,  18.56  ;  d.  21  Sept.,  1870. 

Child  of  Lucinda  : 
Ina  M.,  b.  29  Sept.,  1868. 

GiLMAN  C.^  (Amos,-  George,^  Capt.)  resides  in  Webster  ;  is  a  car- 
penter ;  m.  Mary  F.  Boutelle,  of  Hopkinton,  29  Nov., 
1855. 

Ira  Francis,  b.  8  July,  and  d.  21  Oct.,  1862. 

Arthur  IF.,  b.  23  Oct.,  1865. 

Joseph  Warren-^  (Amos,-  George,^  Capt.)  resides  in  Canterburv  ; 
m.,  1st,  Catharine  Stone,  of  West  B.,  28  Nov..  1855; 
2d,  Mary  J.  Lovering,  of  Loudon,  19  Feb.,  1864. 

Children  of  Mary : 
Gate  J.,  b.  7  Jan.,  1865. 

Carrie  N.,  h.  7  Marcli,  1868;  d.  28  July,  1871. 
Ira  W.,  h.  1  Dec,  1873. 

Henry  F.^  (Amos,^  George,^  Capt.)  lives  in  Manchester ;  m. 
Adelia  A.  B.  Sanborn,  of  West  B.,  11  Oct.,  1855. 

Oscar  P.,  h.  24  Sept.,  18.58. 

Clarence  P.,  b.  11  Nov.,  1863 ;  d.  12  Oct.,  1877. 

Myron    H.^  (Amos,^  George,^  Capt.)    lives  in  Manchester;  m. 
Hannah  Moore,  of  Canterbury,  28  July,  1869. 
Leona  G.,  b.  18  July,  1870. 
Leon  M.,  b.  13  Aug.,  1871. 
Bertha  L.,  b.  15  March,  1876, 


GENEALOGICAL STONE.  615 

Charles  J.  F.,^  Esq.  (Peter,^  Dea.,  George,^  Capt.),  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  military  academy  at  ISTorwicli,  Vt. ;  after- 
wards studied  law  with  Austin  F.  Pike,  Esq.,  at 
Franklin,  and  at  the  Cambridge  Law  School ;  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  and  practised  law  at  Plymouth ;  m. 
Abby  A.  Weare,  of  Andover,  20  Sept.,  1855. 

George  TF.,  b.  11  Nov.,  1857  ;">  graduates  of  Dart,  coll., — class    of 
Charles  TF.',  b.  6  Aug.,  1859;    |      1878. 

Silas  C.,^  Dea.  (Peter,^  Dea.,  George,^  Capt.),  resides  at  West 
Eoxburj',  Mass. ;  a  successful  teacher  ;  is  now  master 
of  the  Sherwin  school,  Boston ;  m.  Julia  A.  Pattee,  of 
Goffstown,  6  Feb.,  1854. 

Alaric,  b.  28  Jan.,  1855. 

S.  Abbie,  h.  10  July,  1861. 

Annie  F.  S.,  b.  3  Aug.,  1867. 

Fkederick  P.,^  Capt.  (Peter, "^  Dea.,  George,^  Capt.).  [See  Biog.] 
Charles  F.,  h.  22  Nov.,  1868. 
Josephine  L.,  b.  7  Feb.,  1870. 
Hubert  H.  B.,  b.  2-1  Sept.,  1871. 
DoraB.,h.  1873;  d.  1874. 

Nathaj;-  J.^  (Peter, '^  Dea.,  George,^  Capt.)  resides  in  Santa  Eosa, 
Cal. ;  was  for  several  years  clerk  in  the  bookstore  of 
the  Bancrofts,  at  San  Francisco  ;  travelled  extensivel}'' 
for  them  in  the  territories,  Cal.,  and  the  Atlantic 
states  ;  also  in  Europe,  for  a  firm  in  Yokahama,  Japan, 
where  for  the  last  five  years  he  has  been  engaged  in 
mercantile  business  ;  m.  Annie  Call,  of  San  Francisco, 
Cal. 
Infant  son,  b.  16  and  d.  17  May,  1876. 
Infant  dau.,  b.  19  and  d.  20  Jan.,  1878. 


616  GENEALOGICAL TEMPLE. 

TEMPLE. 

Couiiiiled  by  Dea.  Wm.  Temijle,  Woburn,  Mass. 

The  name  of  Temple  dates  back  in  English  history  to  the  11th 
century.     The  first  of  the  name  in  America  was 

Egbert,^  of  Saco,  Me.  According  to  tradition,  he  was  killed  by 
the  Indians  in  1675,  and  the  family  moved  to  Lynn  or 
Boston. 

Richard,^  one  of  the  sons,  was  indentured  to  Dea.  Thomas  Ban- 
croft, of  Reading,  ancestor  of  the  historian,  Hon.  Geo. 
Bancroft.  He  m.,  in  1693,  Deborah,  dau.  of  Thomas 
Parker,  and  reared  a  family  of  ten  children. 

JoxATHAX,^  the  third  child,  was  b.  1698  or  1699,  and  m.,  1st, 
Sarah  Harndon,  1734;  2d,  Sarah  Damon,  in  1759. 
He  d.  20  May,  1789.     Had  six  children. 

Daniel,*  the  youngest,  b.  4  Aug.,  1767;  m.,  17  Oct.,  1788,  Sarah 
Beard. 

Daxiel,^  b.  23  Dec,  1789;  grad.  Dartmouth  coll.,  1817,  and  An- 
dover  Theological  Seminary,  1821  ;  ordained  mission- 
ary of  the  American  Board  at  Bridgewater,  Mass.,  3 
Oct.,  1821;  m.  Eachel,  dau.  of  Col.  Timothy  Dix,  of 
B.,  4  Dec,  1821,  missionary  at  Malta  ;  d.  in  Read- 
ing, 9  Aug.,  1851. 

Daniel,  h.  13  Nov.,  1822;  m.  Louisa  M.  Newlin. 

Charles,  h.  20  July,  1824;  m.,  1st,  Lucretia,  dau.  of  Joshua  Pluin- 

raer,  of  Bangor,  formerly  of  B. ;  2d,  Ursula  E.  Chapin ; 

lives  in  Otsego,  Mich. 
Cntherine,  b.  24  Dec.  1825;  d.  16  April,  1827. 
William,  b.  30  Dec,  1826;  d.  8  March,  1827. 

JoHX,^  fifth  child  of  Richard,-  b.  21  Oct.,  1704  ;  m.  Rebecca, 
dau.  of  Ebenezer  Parker ;  had  seven  children. 

William,*  b.  3  Jan.,  1745;  m.  Rebecca  Weston;  had  three 
children. 

William,^  b.  5  June,  1773  ;  m.  Zerviah,  dau.  of  Zebulon  Rich- 
ardson, of  Woburn;  d.  27  April,  1802. 

William,*'  b.  15  Sept.,  1801 ;  only  child  of  William.^  Learned 
blacksmithing;  m.  Susanna  Noyes,  12  June,  1823; 
settled  in  B.,  where  he  carried  on  blacksmithing  many 
years  ;  has  resided  at  East  Woburn  since  1865  ;  was 
captain  of  artillery  ;  deacon  of  Congregational  church  ; 
has  been  much  interested  in  histoiy  and  genealogy ; 
was  one  of  the  original  subscribers  to  the  N.  E.  Gen. 
Register ;  an  ardent  advocate  of  anti-slavery,  temj)er- 
ance,  and  other  reforms. 


GENEALOGICAL — WEBSTER.  617 

WEBSTER. 

William^  descencled  from  the  Websters  of  Hampstead ;  settled 
in  Salisbury,  N.  H. 

Naihaniel,  b.  15  Feb.,  1781. 

Ehenezer,  b   U  Aug.,  1787. 

Worcester,  b.  1791. 

Benjamin^  d.  at  Haverhill. 

William,  d.  in  Canada. 

Ruth,  d.  at  Hill. 

Mary,  b.  1779;  d.  at  B.,  25  Dec,  1847. 

Amos,  d.  at  Crescent  City,  111. 

Nathaniel^  (William^)  m.  Betsey,  dau.  of  Moses  Sawj^er,  of 
Salisbury,  1  Nov.,  1815  ;  d.  8  Aug.,  1828. 

Betseij  S.,  b.  11  Feb.,  1817  ;  d.  8  Sept.,  1825. 

Naihaniel  S.,  b.  11  May,  1818;  m.  Lucy  Ann  Lord,  2  July,  1846  ; 
representative  in  1876  and  1877.  Two  children, — Julia 
A.,  and  Charles  I. 

William,  b.  20  Feb.,  1821  ;  d.  8  Aug.,  1826. 

Ann  Ruth,  h.  26  Nov.,  1823;  m.  Rev.  Horace  Eaton,  d.  d.,  Pal- 
myra, N.  Y.     Three  children  living. 

Ebenezer,'-  Col.  (William^),  b.  14  Aug.,  1787  ;  m.  Sarah,  his 
cousin,  dau.  of  Hon.  Ebenezer  Webster,  and  sister  of 
Daniel  and  Ezekiel ;  engaged  in  trade  in  Hill  from 
1815  to  1846,  when  he  removed  to  B.,  where  he  d.  3 
June,  1861.  He  was  colonel  of  militia. 
Emily,  b.  12  Feb.,  1809;  m.  E.  K.  Webster,  m.  d.,  of  Hampstead. 

Wokcester'^  (William^),  b.  1794;  m.,  1st,  Polly  Pettengill,  of 
Salisbury ;  2d,  Mary  Jane,  dau.  of  Hon.  Silas  Betton, 
and  grand-daughter  of  Matthew  Thornton,  one  of  the 
signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

Charles  Williams,  b,  14  Sept.,  1826;  m.  Lucia  M.,  dau.  of  John 
Greenough,  of  B. 

George  Worcester,  b.  1831;  d.  June,  1860. 

Mary  Ann,  b.  July,  1839  ;  m.  Cbas.  E.  Johnson;  resides  in  Brook- 
line,  Mass. 

Eliphalet  K.,  son  of  Eev.  Josiah,  of   Hampstead,  b.  3  May, 

1802;   m.  Emil}^,  dau.   of  Col.   Ebenezer  Webster,  of 

Salisbury.     [See  Biog.] 
Daniel  Dana,  h.  11   Feb.,  1835 ;  ra.   Martha  Susan,  dau.  of  Dea. 

Joseph  Pillsbury,  of  B.  ;  resides  in  Middlebury,  Vt.;  one 

g\\\\&,— Alice  Emily,  b.  1  Feb.,  1870. 
Sarah  Elizabeth,  b.  3  Sept.,  1837;  m.  Alfred  Livingston,  si.  d.,  of 

Lowell,  Mass.;  one  child. 
Emily  Maria,  b.  17  Jan.,  1844. 
Editii,  b.  24  Oct.,  1868. 
Edward  Knight,  b.  5  Aug.,  1848;  merchant  at  Pittsfield,  N.  H. 


618  GENEALOGICAL WEBSTER. 


WEBSTEE. 

Compiled  by  Charlotte  (Webster)  Mace. 

Ebekezer,  b.  in  Newbury,  Vt.,  in  1778,  on  the  "ox-bow"  farm  ; 
m.  Betsey,  dau.  of  Eben  Wells,  of  New  Hampton,  in 
1802;  moved  to  B.,  April,  1816  ;  lived  on  Fish  street, 
and  afterwards  near  the  church.  In  1823  he  built  a 
house  near  the  "Gulf,"  and  lived  there  till  1847;  d. 
in  Piermont,  26  Sept.,  1850.  His  wife,  b.  1786,  d.  at 
B.  29  Dec,  1863.     They  had  eight  children. 

Parker^  b.  1803  ;  d.  in  infancy. 

Parker,  b.  21  June,   1805  ;  m.   Hannah,  dau.   of  Elisha   Drew,  of 

Portsmouth,  10  May,  1827  ;  d.  in  Concord,  13  Dec,  1863. 
Ephraim,  b.  30  March,  1807  ;  m.  Elisabeth  Stevens,  of  Manchester, 

1831;  d.  23  June,  1851. 
Freeman,  b.  12  Aug.,  1809  ;  m.  Nancy,  dau.  of  Nathan  Emery,  of 

Canterbury;  resides  in  Concord. 
Betsey,  b.  13  Sept.,  1811 ;  m.   Wm.    Campbell,  of  Manchester,  31 

Aug.,  1812. 
Walter,  h.  12   Sept.,  1813;  m.    Catharine    Stevens,  of  Plymouth, 

1838. 
Marilla  B.,  b.  11   Sept.,  1815;  m.  D.   F.  Lane,  of  Gilmanton,  3 

July,  1812. 
Mary  P.,  b.  11  Aug.,  1820;  m.  John  Adams,   April,  1818;  d.  23 

April,  1S72. 


MISCELLANY. 


OFFICIAL  HISTORY. 


^1  HE  corporate  existence  of  Boscawen  began  in  1760;  that  of 
^T  Webster  in  1860.  In  its  centennial  year  the  town  was 
divided.  The  causes  that  brought  about  the  division  were  many. 
The  geographical  features  made  a  division  practicable.  Beaver 
dam,  entering  tlie  town  from  the  north  and  running  due  south, 
parallel  with  the  eastern  and  western  boundaries,  would  be  a  nat- 
ural dividing  line. 

The  changes  brought  about  by  the  construction  of  the  Northern 
and  Concord  &  Claremont  railroads,  the  changes  of  trade, — those 
living  in  Bashan  doing  their  trading  at  Concord,  those  west  of 
Long  pond  having  more  in  common  with  Contoocook,  or  with 
Warner,  than  with  Boscawen  Plain, — were  influences  tending  to 
a  division. 

There  was  no  bond  of  union, — no  centralizing  force.  The 
meeting-house  question  had  been  a  disturbing  element  as  early 
as  1791  [see  p.  137],  when  71  citizens,  living  west  of  Beaver  dam, 
had  petitioned  for  a  new  town.  The  remodelling  of  the  meeting- 
house on  the  Plain  in  1840,  making  it  necessary  to  hold  the 
annual  meetings  at  the  West  end  two  years  in  succession,  brought 
up  the  question  of  a  division  once  more. 

In  civil  history,  important  events   are   sometimes   the  outcome 

of  insignificant  causes.     An    influence   more  potent  than  those 

already  cited  was  the  purchase  of  a  fire  engine,  to  be  located  at 

Pisherville.     Some  of  the  voters  of  the  West   end   were   much 

40 


620  OFFICIAL    HISTORY. 

incensed  at  such  a  disposition  of  the  public  funds.  They  com- 
plained that  the  vote  was  carried  through  after  the  majority  had 
gone  home. 

The  growth  of  Fisherville,  the  increase  of  taxable  property,  the 
feeling  of  property-holders  at  the  East  end  that  the  large  number 
of  bridges  across  the  Blackwater  was  a  burden,  were  influences 
that  had  weight  with  residents  of  the  East  end,  who  believed  that 
it  would  be  for  their  interest  to  have  the  town  divided. 

Political  and  geographical  considerations  and  party  ascendency 
were  disturbing  elements.  Erom  1824,  when  the  po])ulation  was 
sufficient  to  entitle  the  town  to  two  representatives,  the  proper 
distribution  of  public  offices  among  political  aspirants  was  a 
disturbing  element  in  political  parties.  Each  section  claimed 
its  share.  Sectional  rivalries  and  personal  jealousies  wei'e  engen- 
dered. 

These  and  other  causes  combined,  finally  resulted  in  a  petition 
to  the  legislature  from  the  residents,  mainly  at  the  East  end,  for 
a  division,  they  retaining  the  name  and  the  records.  The  peti- 
tion was  resisted.  It  was  felt  to  be  a  hardship  by  the  majority 
at  the  West  end  to  be  thrust  out  in  such  a  manner;  to  be  cast  off 
offensively ;  to  have  a  name  forced  upon  them  not  of  their  choos- 
ing ;  to  be  deprived  of  their  inheritance  in  the  historic  fame  of 
Boscawen,  which  had  maintained  its  position  during  the  Indian 
troubles  of  the  colonial  period,  when  other  frontier  towns, — Ho]d- 
kinton,  Warner,  and  Salisbury, — were  abandoned;  to  be  cut  off 
from  a  town  that  could  number  among  its  citizens  men  who  had 
written  their  names  large  on  the  roll  of  honor. 

Whether  the  action  of  the  petitioners  was  wise  or  unwise, 
whether  the  material  interests  of  the  communitj^  as  a  whole 
would  be  advanced  or  retarded,  men  did  not  stop  to  consider; 
passion  crowded  out  reason ;  the  time  had  come  for  a  division.  In 
communities  as  well  as  in  families,  from  the  time  of  Abraham  and 
Lot  to  the  present  day,  separation  is  sometimes  better  than  union. 
Possibly  the  citizens  of  the  West  end  thought  that  their  fellow- 
citizens  of  the  East  end  did  not  emulate  the  example  of  the 
patriarch  of  the  Hebrew  race  in  bringing  about  the  division  ;  and 
now,  that  time  has  thrown  its  mellowing  influences  over  the  trans- 
action, citizens  of  the  East  end  may  possibly  see  that  a  division 
might  have  been  brought  about  with  less  irritation  and  bitterness. 


r'-^ , 


OFFICIAL    HISTORY.  621 

So,  after  one  hundred  j^ears  of  corporate  existence,  Boscawen 
cut  off  one  half  of  its  territory  and  established  the  town  of  Web- 
ster. 

It  has  been  characteristic  of  the  people^  from  the  first  set- 
tlement, to  select  good  men  to  conduct  their  public  affairs.  Sin- 
gularly fortunate  has  been  their  selection  of  town-clerk.  Of  all  the 
original  proprietors,  not  one  probably  possessed  higher  qualifica- 
tions for  that  office  than  Joseph  Coffin,  and  when  the  plantation 
became  a  town,  the  man  best  qualified  for  the  office,  George  Jack- 
man,  was  chosen,  holding  it  from  1760  to  1796. 

Equally  well  qualified  was  Joel  French,  who  held  the  office  from 
1807  till  his  death  in  1810.  His  successor,  Samuel  W.  Lang, 
wlio  held  the  position  from  1810  to  1817,  was  the  equal  of  his 
predecessors.  From  1817  k)  1856,  Hezekiah  Fellows,  a  magis- 
trate who  understood  forms,  pains-taking,  methodical,  a  fair  pen- 
man, kept  the  records.  Thus,  by  choosing,  in  the  main,  compe- 
tent men  for  this  office,  the  records  of  Boscawen  have  been  pre- 
served almost  intact. 

In  the  selection  of  selectmen  the  citizens  have,  with  but  few 
exceptions,  chosen  men  who  were  competent  to  transact  the  busi- 
ness, aaid  who  were  animated  by  a  sincere  desire  to  promote  the 
interests  of  the  'town  rather  than  their  own  aggrandisement. 
There  has  been  but  one  notable  exception,  which  occurred  at  the 
close  of  the  last  century,  when  all  the  worst  elements  in  the  com- 
munity united  to  obtain  power.  The  leaders,  Winthrop  Carter 
and  Thomas  Thorla,  were  able  men,  and,  through  the  influence 
they  exercised,  directed  the  affairs  of  the  town  during  1796  and 
1797.  The  first  year,  however,  they  were  checkmated  at  every 
step  by  Enoch  Little, — the  second  of  the  name  in  the  town, — 
who  was  elected  third  selectman.  In  1797,  Carter,  Thorla,  and 
Daniel  Shepard  were  elected,  and  managed  as  they  pleased.  Their 
accovints  became  confused,  and  there  was  a  deficit  which  they  could 
not  explain.  They  were  arraigned  not  only  at  the  bar  of  public 
opinion,  but  before  a  committee  of  investigation.  It  was  the  old 
story  :  the  men  who  had  seized  the  ship  could  not  manage  it,  and 
they  were  ignominiously  thrown  overboard  the  next  year.  With 
this  exception  the  affairs  of  the  town  have  been  conducted  with  a 
fidelity  that  presents  a  pleasing  contrast  to  the  municipal  man- 
agement of  many  other  localities  in  these  later  years. 


622 


OFFICIAL    HISTORY. 


The  men  who  have  been  selected  to  represent  the  towns  have 
been  citizens  of  high  character.  CoL  Henry  Gerrisli,  George  Jack- 
man,  Capt.  Joseph  Gerrish,  Maj.  Enoch  Gerrish,  and  Capt.  Ben- 
jamin Little,  were  tfie  representatives  of  the  last  century.  These 
five  men  represented  the  town  from  1760  to  1801. 

During  the  first  quarter  of  the  present  centur^^,  such  men  as 
Timothy  Dix,  Caleb  Knight,  Ezekiel  Webster,  Joseph  Little, 
Jeremiah  Gerrish,  Maj.  Enoch  Gerrish,  and  Col.  Isaac  Chandler, 
acted  as  legislators.  Their  successors  in  the  next  quarter  were 
such  men  as  Hezekiah  Fellows,  Col.  John  Farmer,  Capt.  Joseph 
Ames,  John  Greenough,  Moses  Fellows,  Thomas  Coffin,  William 
H.  Gage,  Benjamin  Kimball,  Nathan  Plummer,  Abraham  Bur- 
bank,  Richard  Gage,  Simeon  B.  Little,  Joseph  Morrill,  Rev. 
Ebenezer  Price,  Elbridge  F.  Greftiough,  Abiel  R.  Chandler, 
Nathan  Pearson,  Jr.,  Thomas  Gerrish,  Luke  Corser,  Caleb  Smith, 
and  Calvin  Gage. 

Of  these,  all  but  three  are  numbered  among  the  dead, — their 
life-work  over, — and  the  historian  may  freely  speak  of  them. 
They  were  men  who  honored  the  town,  who  sought  its  welfare, 
who  allowed  no  private  interest  or  personal  ambition  to  interfere 
with  their  public  duties  as  legislators.  This  may  be  said  with 
equal  truth  of  those  who  since  1850  have  represented  the  towns. 
The  official  record  is  a  roll  of  honor. 

TOWN    OFFICERS. 
M.,  moderator ;  C,  clerk;  S.,  selectmen  ;  Del.,  delegate;  Rep.,  representatives. 


1760. 


17G2 


M.' 

Joseph  CofBn. 

M. 

Joseph  Eastman. 

C. 

George  Jackraan.* 

S. 

George  Jackman, 

s. 

John  Fowler, 

John  Flanders, 

John  Webster, 

Joseph  Holt. 

Joseph  Eastman. 

1761. 

1763. 

M. 

John  Webster. 

M. 

John  Fowler. 

S. 

John  Webster, 

S. 

Joseph  Hoit, 

Enos  Bishop, 

Ephraim  Plummer, 

George  Jackman. 

Thomas  Foss. 

*  From  1760  to  1796  he  was  reelected. 


OFFICIAL    HISTORY. 


623 


1764. 

M.  John  Fowler. 

S.  George  Jackman, 

Jesse  Flanders, 
Oliver  Fowler. 

1765. 

M.  John  Fowler. 

S.  George  Jackman, 

John  Fowler, 
Jesse  Flanders. 

1766. 

M.  Joseph  Eastman. 

S.  Moses.  Burbank, 

Moses  Call, 
Henry  Gerrish. 

1767. 

M.  Jesse  Flanders. 

S.  Henry  Gerrish, 

George  Jackman, 
Jesse  Flanders. 


1768. 
M.  John  Fowler. 

S.  Henry  Gerrish, 

Peter  Kimball, 
Oliver  Fowler. 


1769. 
M.  Moses  Morse. 

S.  Capt.  Henry  Gerrish, 

Moses  Morse, 
George  Jackman. 

1770. 

M.  Rev.  Robie  Morrill. 

S.  Moses  Morse, 

Henry  Gerrish, 
Peter  Kimball. 


1771. 
M.  Moses  Morse. 

S.  Winthrop  Carter, 

Moses  Call, 

Moses  Morse. 

1772. 

M.  Capt.  Henry  Gerrish. 

S.  George  Jackman, 

Dea.  Jesse  Flanders, 
Samuel  Muzzy. 

1773. 

M.  Henry  Gerrish. 

S.  Ebenezer  Hidden, 

Samuel  Gerrish, 
George  Jackman. 

1774. 

M.  Peter  Coffin. 

S.  Samuel  Muzzy, 

Peter  Kimball, 
Jesse  Flanders. 

Del.  State  Convention, 

Henry  Gerrish. 

1775. 

M.  Stephen  Webster. 

S.  Moses  Call, 

Enoch  Gerrish, 
George  Jackman. 

Del.  State  Con., 

Henry  Gerrish. 

1776. 
M.  Robie  Morrill. 

S.  George  Jackman, 

Cutting  Noyes, 

John  Eliot. 

1777. 
M.  Henry  Gerrish. 

S.  George  Jackman, 

John  Eliot, 
Cutting  Noyes. 


624 


OFFICIAL    HISTORY, 


1778. 


M. 

S. 


Del. 


Henry  Gerrish. 
George  Jackinan, 
Lieut.  Enoch  Gerrish, 
Cutting  Noyes, 
George  Jackman. 


178i. 


M. 

S. 


Peter  Kimball. 
Enoch  Gerrish, 
Peter  Kimball, 
George  Jackman. 


1779. 


1785. 


M. 

Henry  Gerrish. 

M. 

Ebenezer  Hidden. 

S. 

George  Jackman, 

S. 

Lieut.  Enoch  Gerrish, 

Enoch  Gerrish, 

Benjamin  Sweatt, 

Samuel  Muzzy- 

George  Jackman. 

Del. 

George  Jackman, 
Henry  Gerrish. 

Rep. 

George  Jackman. 

1780. 

1786. 

M. 

Peter  Kimball. 

M. 

Samuel  Fowler. 

S. 

George  Jackman, 

S. 

George  Jackman, 

Stephen  Webster, 

Benjamin  Sweatt. 

Cutting  Noyes. 

Lieut.  Benjamin  Jackman 

Eep. 

Henry  Gerrish. 

Rep. 

George  Jackman. 

1781. 

1787. 

M. 

Henry  Gerrish. 

M. 

Henry  Gerrish. 

S. 

George  Jackman, 

S. 

Joseph  Gerrish, 

Cutting  Noyes, 

Peter  Kimball, 

Capt.  Peter  Kimball. 

Benjamin  Little. 

1782. 

1788. 

M. 

Peter  Coffin. 

M. 

Henry  Gerrish. 

S. 

George  Jackman, 

S. 

Joseph  Gerrish, 

Joseph  Jackman, 

Cutting  Noyes, 

David  Corser. 

Peter  Kimball. 

Rep. 

George  Jackman, 

Del.  to  Convention, 

Henry  Gerrish. 

1783. 

1789. 

M. 

Ebenezer  Hidden. 

M. 

Peter  Coffin. 

S. 

George  Jackman, 

s. 

Joseph  Gerrish, 

Isaac  Pearson, 

Peter  Kimball, 

David  Corser. 

Benjamin  Little. 

OFFICIAL    HISTORY. 


625 


1790. 


1796. 


M. 

Joseph  Gerrish. 

M. 

S. 

Joseph  Gerrish, 

C. 

Peter  Kimball, 

s. 

Benjamin  Little. 

Rep. 

Heury  Gerrish. 

Rep. 

1791. 

1797. 

M. 

Enoch  Gerrish. 

M. 

S. 

Joseph  Gerrish, 

C. 

Georsre  Jackman, 

S. 

Samuel  Ames, 

David  Corser, 

Nathaniel  Green. 
Rep.         ITeury  Gerrish. 
Del.  to  revise  State  Constitution, 

Nathaniel  Green. 
1792. 


Rep. 


1798. 


M. 

Enoch  Gerrish. 

M. 

S. 

Benjamin  Little, 

C. 

Enoch  Gerrish, 

S. 

Lieut.  John  Chandler. 

Rep. 

Enoch  Gerrish. 

Rep. 

1793. 

1799. 

M. 

Henry  Gerrish. 

M. 

S. 

Joseph  Gerrish, 

C. 

Benjamin  Little, 

S. 

George  Jackman. 

Rep. 

Enoch  Gerrish. 

Rep. 

1794. 

1800, 

M. 

Henry  Gerrish. 

M. 

s. 

Joseph  Gerrish, 

C. 

Benjamin  Little, 

S. 

George  Jackman. 

Rep. 

Enoch  Gerrish. 

Rep. 

1795. 

1801 

M. 

Joseph  Gerrish. 

M. 

S. 

Joseph  Gerrish, 

C. 

Enoch  Little, 

s. 

George  Jackman. 

Rep. 

Benjamin  Little. 

Rep. 


Thomas  Thorla. 
Tristram  Noyes. 
Winthrop  Carter, 
Thomas  Thorla, 
Enoch  Little. 
Benjamin  Little. 

Thomas  Thorla. 
Tristram  Noyes. 
Winthrop  Carter, 
Thomas  Thorla, 
Daniel  Shepard. 
Enoch  Gerrish. 


Enoch  Gerrish. 
George  Jackman, 
Enoch  Gerrish, 
Timothy  Dix,  Jr., 
Joseph  Little. 
Enoch  Gerrish. 

Maj.  Enoch  Gerrish. 
George  Jackman. 
Enoch  Gerrish, 
Timothy  Dix,  Jr., 
Joseph  Little. 
Maj.  Joseph  Gerrish. 

Thomas  Thorla. 
Samuel  Choate. 
Benjamin  Jackman, 
Joseph  Couch, 
Caleb  Knight. 
Enoch  Gerrish. 

Nathaniel  Green. 
Samuel  Choate. 
Benjamin  Jackman, 
Joseph  Couch, 
Caleb  Knight. 
Timothy  Dix,  Jr. 


626 


OFFICIAL    HISTORY. 


1802. 

1808. 

M. 

Nathaniel  Green. 

M. 

Joseph  Gerrish. 

c. 

Phinehas  Bailey. 

C. 

Joel  French. 

s. 

Joseph  Couch, 

S. 

Capt.  Somersby  Pearson, 

Nathaniel  Green, 

Ezekiel  Morse, 

Samuel  Muzzy. 

Stephen  Gerrish. 

Eep. 

Timothy  Dix,  Jr. 

Rep. 

Enoch  Gerrish. 

1803. 

1809. 

M. 

Enoch  Gerrish. 

M. 

Joseph  Gerrish. 

C. 

Joseph  Couch. 

C. 

Joel  French. 

S. 

Nathaniel  Green, 

S. 

Stephen  Gerrish, 

Nathan  Davis, 

Joseph  H.  Morrill, 

Benjamin  Jackman. 

Peletiah  Peasley.          « 

Rep. 

Timothy  Dix,  Jr. 

Rep. 

Enoch  Gerrish. 

1804. 

1810. 

M. 

Nathaniel  Green. 

M. 

Joseph  Gerrish. 

C. 

Joseph  Couch. 

C. 

Samuel  W.  Lang. 

s. 

Benjamin  Jackman, 

S. 

Stephen  Gerrish, 

Isaac  Chandler, 

Joseph  Little, 

Joseph  Little. 

Thomas  Coffin. 

Rep. 

Timothy  Dix,  Jr. 

Rep. 

Ezekiel  "Webster. 

1805. 

1811. 

M. 

Col.  Joseph  Gerrish. 

M. 

Col.  Joseph  Gerrish. 

C. 

Caleb  Putney. 

C. 

Samuel  W.  Lang. 

s. 

Benjamin  Jackman, 

S. 

Thomas  Coffin, 

Joseph  Little, 

Benjamin  Little, 

Maj.  Isaac  Chandler. 

Joel  French. 

Rep. 

Caleb  Knight. 

Rep. 

Ezekiel  Webster. 

1806. 

1812. 

M. 

Joseph  Gerrish. 

M. 

Isaac  Chandler. 

c. 

Samuel  Choate. 

C. 

Samuel  W.  Lang. 

S. 

Joseph  Little, 

S. 

Nathan  Chandler, 

Daniel  Pillsbury, 

Joseph  Ames, 

Joseph  H.  Morrill. 

Capt.  Moses  Gerrish. 

Rep. 

Benjamin  Little. 

Rep. 

Ezekiel  Webster. 

1807. 

1813. 

M. 

Joseph  Gerrish. 

M. 

Ezekiel  Webster. 

C. 

Joel  French. 

C. 

Samuel  W.  Lang. 

S. 

Daniel  Pillsbury, 

S. 

Capt.  Moses  Gerrish, 

Rep. 


Joseph  Little, 

Capt.  Somersby  Pearson. 

Benjamin  Little. 


Rep. 


Joseph  Ames, 
Nathan  Chandler. 
Ezekiel  AVebster. 


OFFICIAL    HISTORY. 


627 


1814. 


1820. 


M. 

Ezekiel  AYebster. 

M. 

Ezekiel  Webster. 

C. 

Samuel  W.  Lang. 

S. 

Nehemiah  Cogswell, 

s. 

Capt.  Moses  Gerrish, 

Samuel  Little, 

Joseph  Ames, 

Isaac  Gerrish. 

Isaac  Grerrish. 

Rep. 

Isaac  Chandler. 

Rep. 

Ezekiel  Webster. 

1815. 

1821. 

M. 

Ezekiel  Webster. 

M. 

Ezekiel  Webster. 

C. 

Samuel  W.  Lang. 

S. 

Samuel  Little, 

S. 

Isaac  Gerrish, 

Moses  Gerrish, 

Jesse  Little, 

Isaac  Pearson. 

Josepli  II.  Morrill. 

Rep. 

Ezekiel  Webster. 

Hep. 

Joseph  Little. 

1'816. 

1822. 

M. 

Ezekiel  Webster. 

M. 

Ezekiel  Webster. 

c. 

Samuel  W.  Lang. 

s. 

Samuel  Little, 

S. 

Maj.  ]\[oses  Gerrish, 

Moses  Gerrish, 

Daniel  Pillsbury, 

Isaac  Pearson. 

Nathan  Chandler. 

Rep. 

Ezekiel  Webster. 

Rep. 

Joseph  Little. 

1817. 

1823. 

M. 

Enoch  Little. 

M. 

Ezekiel  Webster. 

C. 

Hezekiah  Fellows.* 

S. 

Col.  Moses  Gerrish, 

S. 

Maj.  Moses  Gerrish, 

John  Farmer, 

Daniel  Pillsbury, 

Thomas  Gerrish. 

Nehemiah  Cogswell. 

Rep. 

Ezekiel  Webster. 

Rep. 

Jeremiah  Gerrish. 

1818. 

1824, 

M. 

Ezekiel  Webster. 

M. 

Ezekiel  Webster. 

S. 

Col.  Moses  Gerrish, 

S. 

John  Farmer, 

Nehemiah  Cogswell, 
Samuel  B.  Gerrish. 
Rep.         Jeremiah  Gerrish. 

1819. 

M.  Ezekiel  Webster. 

S.  Nehemiah  Cogswell, 

Joseph  Couch, 
Daniel  Pillsbury. 

Rep.         Isaac  Chandler. 


Rep. 


1825. 


M. 

S. 


Rep. 


Nehemiah  Cogswell, 
Moses  Fellows. 
Ezekiel  Webster, 
Hezekiah  Fellows. 

Ezekiel  Webster. 
John  Farmer, 
Moses  Fellows, 
William  II.  Gage. 
Ezekiel  Webster, 
Hezekiah  Fellows. 


*  From  this  date  to  1854  he  was  reelected. 


628 


OFFICIAL    HISTORY. 


1826. 


1832. 


M. 

Ezekiel  Webster. 

S. 

Moses  Fellows, 

William  H.  Gage, 

Joseph  Couch,  Jr. 

Rep. 

Hezekiah  Fellows, 

Joseph  Ames. 

1827. 

M. 

John  Farmer. 

S. 

Moses  Fellows, 

William  H.  Gage, 

Joseph  Couch,  Jr. 

Rep. 

Ezekiel  Webster, 

John  Farmer. 

1828. 

M. 

Ezekiel  Webster. 

S. 

Moses  Fellows, 

Reuben  Johnson, 

Simeon  B.  Little. 

Rep. 

Ezekiel  Webster, 

John  Farmer. 

1829. 

M. 

Ezekiel  Webster. 

S. 

Moses  Fellows, 

Simeon  B.  Little, 

Thomas  Gerrish. 

Rep. 

John  Farmer, 

John  Greenough. 

1830. 

M. 

John  Farmer. 

S. 

Moses  Fellows, 

Rep. 


1831. 


S. 


Rep. 


Simeon  B.  Little, 
Thomas  Gerrish. 
John  Greenough, 
Moses  Fellows, 

John  Farmer, 
Moses  Fellows, 
Simeon  B.  Little, 
Thomas  Gerrish. 
Moses  Fellows, 
Thomas  Coffin. 


M. 

John  Farmer. 

S. 

Moses  Fellows, 

William  H.  Gage, 

Wyatt  Boyden. 

Rep. 

Moses  Fellows. 

1833. 

M. 

John  Farmer. 

S. 

Moses  Fellows, 

William  H.  Gage, 

Wyatt  Boyden. 

Rep. 

William  H.  Gage. 

1834. 

M. 

John  Farmer. 

S. 

Wyatt  Boyden, 

Abraham  Burbank, 

Hale  Atkinson. 

Rep. 

John  Farmer, 

Benjamin  Kimball. 

1835. 

M. 

John  Farmer. 

S. 

Abraham  Burbank, 

Hale  Atkinson, 

Moses  Fellows. 

Rep. 

John  Farmer, 

Moses  Fellows. 

1836. 

M. 

Moses  Fellows, 

S. 

Simeon  Little, 

Moses  Fellows, 

John  C.  Cogswell. 

Rep. 

Nathan  Plummer, 

William  H.  Gage. 

1837. 

M. 

Moses  Fellows. 

S. 

Simeon  B.  Little, 

Rep. 


Moses  Fellows, 
John  C.  Cogswell. 
Nathan  Plummer, 
Abraham  Burbank. 


OFFICIAL    HISTORY. 


629 


1838. 


18M. 


M. 

S. 


Rep. 


Moses  Fellows. 
Simeon  B.  Little, 
Jeremiah  Noyes, 
"William  M.  Kimball. 
Abraliam  Burbank, 
Richard  Gage. 


1839. 


Thomas  Elliot, 
William  H.  Gage. 
Rep.         Abiel  R.  Chandler, 
Nathan  Pearson,  Jr. 


M. 
S. 


Rep. 


1845. 


M. 

Simeon  B.  Little. 

M. 

S. 

William  M.  Kimball, 
Moses  Fellows, 
Thomas  Little. 

S. 

Rep. 

Richard  Gage, 
Simeon  B.  Little. 

Rep. 

1840. 

1846. 

M. 

Simeon  B.  Little. 

M. 

S. 

Thomas  Little, 
Wj^att  Boyden, 
Abiel  R.  Chandler. 

S. 

Rep. 

Simeon  B.  Little, 
Joseph  Morrill. 

Rep. 

1841. 

1847. 

M. 

Simeon  B.  Little. 

M. 

S. 

Wyatt  Boyden, 
Abiel  Chandler, 
Nathan  Pearson. 

S. 

Rep. 

Joseph  Morrill, 
Rev.  Ebenezer  Price. 

Rep. 

1842. 

1848. 

M. 

Simeon  B.  Little. 

M. 

s. 

Abiel  R.  Chandler, 
Nathan  Pearson, 
Wyatt  Boyden. 

S. 

Rep. 

Rev.  Ebenezer  Price, 
Elbridge  F.  Greenough. 

Rep. 

1843. 

1849. 

M. 

Simeon  B.  Little. 

M. 

S. 

Benjamin  F.  Kimball, 

S. 

Rep. 


Simeon  B.  Little. 
Caleb  Smith, 
Samuel  M.  Durgin, 
Friend  L.  Burbank. 
Nathan  Pearson,  Jr., 
Abiel  R.  Chandler. 

Moody  A.  Pillsbury, 
Caleb  Smith, 
Thomas  Elliot, 
Eliphalet  Kilburn. 
Thomas  Gerrish, 
Luke  Corser. 

Simeon  B.  Little. 
Caleb  Smith, 
Samuel  M.  Durgin, 
Friend  L.  Burbank. 
Thomas  Gerrish, 
Luke  Corser. 

Simeon  B.  Little- 
Hale  Atkinson, 
Samuel  M.  Durgin, 
Calvin  Gage. 
Abraham  Burbank, 
Caleb  Smith. 

Caleb  Smith. 
Eliphalet  Kilburn, 
Abiel  R.  Chandler, 
Friend  L.  Burbank. 
Abraham  Burbank, 
Caleb  Smith. 

Simeon  B.  Little. 
Hale  Atkinson, 
Abiel  R.  Chandler, 
Albert  Danforth. 
Calvin  Gage. 


630 


OFFICIAL   HISTORY. 


1850. 

M.  Simeon  B.  Little. 

S.  Hale  Atkinson, 

Abner  Sargent, 
Simeon  B.  Little. 

Rep.         Calvin  Gage, 
Paul  Pearson. 

1851. 

M.  Simeon  B.  Little. 

S.  Simeon  B.  Little, 

Dan  S.  Balch, 
David  A.  Gerrish. 

Rep.         Paul  Pearson, 
Abiel  Gerrish. 

1852. 

M.  Simeon  B.  Little. 

S.  Simeon  B.  Little, 

David  A.  Gerrish, 
Hale  Atkinson. 

Rep.         Abiel  Gerrish, 

Friend  L.  Burbank. 

1853. 
M.  Simeon  B.  Little. 

S.  Simeon  B.  Little, 

David  A.  Gerrish. 

Hale  Atkinson. 
Rep.         Friend  L.  Burbank, 

John  C.  Gage. 

1854. 

M.  Simeon  B.  Little. 

S.  Abner  Sargent, 

Caleb  Smith, 
Hale  Atkinson. 

Rep.        John  C.  Gage, 
Enoch  Little. 


1855. 

M.  Simeon  B.  Little. 

C.  Franklin  P.  Atkinson. 

S.  Francis  S.  French, 

Moses  Whittier, 

Ira  Sweatt. 
Rep.         Albert  Runnels, 

Abner  B.  "Winn. 

1856. 

M.  Simeon  B.  Little. 

C.  Franklin  P.  Atkinson. 

S.  Francis  S.  French, 

Moses  Whittier, 

Ira  Sweatt. 
Rep.         Albert  Runnels, 

Abner  B.  Winn. 

1857. 
M.  Enoch  Gerrish. 

C.  George  W.  Stevens. 

S.  Abner  Sargent, 

Hale  Atkinson, 

Caleb  Smith. 
Rep.         Francis  S.  French, 

William  M.  Sweatt. 

1858. 

M.  Enoch  Gerrish. 

C.  David  E.  Burbank. 

S.  Moses  Whittier, 

Enoch  Gerrish, 
David  A.  Gerrish. 

Rep.         Francis  S.  French, 
William  M.  Sweatt. 

1859. 
M.  Enoch  Gerrish. 

C.  David  L.  Burbank. 

S.  Enoch  Gerrish, 

Moses  Gill, 

Jeremiah  S.  Webber. 
Rep.         Moses  Whittier, 

Thaddeus  O.  Wilson. 


OFFICIAL    HISTORY. 


631 


18G0. 

M,  Enoch  Gerrisli. 

C.  David  E.  Burbank. 

S.  Enoch  Gerrish, 

Jeremiah  S.  Webber, 
Ahiion  Harris. 

Rep.         Moses  Whittier, 

Thaddeus  O.  Wilson. 


1865. 
M.  Franklin  C.  Morrill. 


C. 

S. 


Rep. 


Calvin  M.  Chadwick. 
Nehemiah  Butler, 
George  Knowles, 
Samuel  Choate. 
David  A.  Gerrish. 


1861. 

1866. 

M. 

Isaac  K.  Gage. 

M. 

Franklin  C.  Morrill, 

C. 

Isaiah  H.  Arey. 

C. 

Charles  Smith. 

s. 

Almon  Harris, 

S. 

Enoch  G.  Wood, 

Francis  S.  French, 

Healey  Morse, 

Ilale  Atkinson. 

James  H.  Gill. 

Rep. 

Luther  Gage. 

Rep. 

David  A.  Gerrisli. 

1862. 

^I.  Nathan  B.  Greene. 

C.  Isaiah  H.  Arey. 

S.  Almon  Harris, 

Francis  S.  French, 
Peter  Coffin. 

Rep.         Luther  Gage. 


1867, 


M. 
C. 

S. 


Rep. 


Isaac  K.  Gage. 
Charles  Smith. 
Enoch  G.  Wood, 
Healey  Morse, 
James  H.  Gill.  • 

Franklin  C.  Morrill. 


1863. 


1868. 


M. 
C. 

S. 


Rep. 


Jonathan  Tenney. 
Isaiah  H.  Arey. 
Nehemiah  Butler, 
Peter  Coffin, 

George  Knowles. 

Almon  Harris. 


1864. 

M.  Franklin  C.  Morrill. 

C.  Isaiah  H.  Arey. 

S.  Nehemiah  Butler, 

George  Knowles, 
Samuel  Choate. 

Rep.        Almon  Harris. 


M. 
0. 

s. 


Rep. 


1869. 


M. 
C. 

S. 


Rep. 


Franklin  C.  Morrill. 
Charles  E.  Chadwick. 
Nehemiah  Butler, 
Ezra  S.  Harris, 
Bradley  Atkinson. 
Franklin  C.  Morrill. 


Franklin  C.  Morrill. 
Charles  E.  Chadwick. 

Ezra  S.  Harris, 
Luther  Gage, 
Bradley  Atkinson. 
Nehemiah  Butler. 


632 


OFFICIAL    HISTORY. 


1870. 


1874. 


M. 
C. 

S. 


Rep. 


Thaddeus  O.  Wilson. 
Charles  E    Chadwick. 
Nehemiah  Butler, 
Hamilton  P.  Gill, 
Joseph  G.  Eastnaan. 
Nehemiah  Butler. 


M. 
C. 

S. 


Kep. 


David  F.  Kimball. 
Charles  E.  Chadwick. 
Nehemiah  Butler, 
Marcus  K.  Howser, 
Samuel  B.  Chadwick. 
Marcus  K.  Howser. 


1871. 


1875. 


M. 

Thaddeus  0.  Wilson. 

M. 

David  F.  Kimball. 

C. 

John  Seavey. 

C. 

Charles  E.  Chadwick, 

S. 

Calvin  Gage, 

s. 

Nehemiah  Butler, 

John  E.  nines, 

Joseph  G.  Eastman, 

Enoch  G.  Wood. 

Austin  G.  Kimball. 

Rep. 

Enoch  G.  Wood. 

Rep. 

Marcus  K.  Howser. 

1872. 


1876. 


M. 
C. 

s. 


R(^. 


David  F.  Kimball. 
Charles  E.  Chadwick. 
David  F.  Kimball, 
Marcus  K.  Howser, 
Samuel  B.  Chadwick. 
Daniel  Y.  Bickford. 


M. 

C. 

s. 


Rep. 


Calvin  Gage. 
George  A.  Morse. 
John  C.  Gage, 
Enoch  G.  Wood, 
Caleb  C.  Hall. 
Nathaniel  S.  Webster. 


1873. 


1877. 


M. 
C. 
S. 


Rep. 


David  F.  Kimball. 
Charles  E.  Chadwick. 
David  F.  Kimball, 
Marcus  K.  Howser, 
Samuel  B.  Chadwick. 
Daniel  Y.  Bickford. 


M. 
C. 

S. 


Rep. 


Thaddeus  O.  Wilson. 
Charles  E.  Chadwick. 
John  C.  Gage, 
Caleb  C.  Hall, 
Luther  Gage. 
Nathaniel  S.  Webster. 


1878. 


M. 
C. 

s. 


Rep. 


David  F.  Kimball. 
Charles  E.  Chadwick. 
Luther  Gage, 
Charles  W.  Hardy, 
Marcus  K.  Howser. 
Peter  Coffin. 


OFFICIAL    HISTORY. 


633 


TOWX    OFFICERS    OF    WEBSTER. 


The  act  incorporating  the  town  of  Webster  was  passed  at  the 
June  session  of  the  legiskture,  LS60,  Jeremiah  S.  Webber  and 
Joseph  L.  Couch  being  empowered  to  call  the  first  town-meeting, 
which  was  held  August,  1860. 


]  860. 
M.  Simeon  H.  Little. 

C.  David  E.  Burbank. 

S.  Nathan  Pearson, 

Jeremiah  S.  Webber, 
Albert  Runnels. 


1861. 


M. 

C. 

S. 


Rep. 


Simeon  B.  Little. 
David  E.  Burbank. 
Jereiniali  S.  ^Vebber, 
Albert  Runnels, 
George  Little. 
Albert  Runnels. 


1862. 


M.  Simeon  B.  Little. 

C.  David  E.  Burbank. 

S.  George  Little, 

AVriliam  D.  Call, 
David  A.  JVlacurdy. 
* 

1863. 

M.  Simeon  B.  Little. 

C.  Atherton  Sweatt. 

S.  George  Little, 

William  D.  Call, 
John  C.  Pearson. 

Rep.        Jeremiah  S.  Webber. 

1864. 

M.  Simeon  B.  Little. 

C.  Atherton  Sweatt. 

S.  WiUiam  D.  Call, 

John  C.  Pearson, 
Hiram  G.  Stone. 

Rep.         George  Little. 


1865. 


M. 
C. 

S. 


Rep. 

1866. 
M. 


1867. 


M. 
C. 

S. 


Rep. 

1868. 
M. 
C. 

s. 


Rep. 

1869, 
M. 
C. 
S. 


Eep. 


Simeon  B.  Little. 
Atherton  Sweatt. 
John  C.  Pearson, 
Hi  ram  G.  Stone, 
Henry  H.  Gerrish. 
George  Little. 

Simeon  B.  Little. 
Atherton  Sweatt. 
Hi  rain  G.  Stone, 
Henry  H.  Gerrish, 
Sherman  Little. 
No  Rep. 

Joseph  L.  Couch. 
Atherton  Sweatt. 
John  Colby, 
John  Sanborn, 
D.  C.  Hubbard. 
William  D.  Call. 

David  A.  Macurdy. 
Atherton  Sweatt. 
Sherman  Little, 
William  W.  Austin, 
Atherton  Sweatt. 
AViUiam  D.  Call. 

David  A.  Macurdy. 
Atherton  Sweatt. 
Sherman  Little, 
WiUiam  W.  Austin, 
Atherton  Sweatt. 
David  A.  Macurdy. 


♦After 


many  ballots  for  representative  without  choice,  the  town  voted  not  to  send. 


634 


OFFICIAL    HISTORY, 


1870. 

M.  David  A.  Macurdy. 

C.  Atherton  Sweatt. 

S.  Charles  E.  Kimball, 

Joseph  L.  Couch, 
Atherton  Sweatt. 


1874. 


M. 
C. 

S. 


Eep. 


Sherman  Little. 
Atherton  Sweatt. 
AVilliam  W.  Burbank, 
Charles  C.  Kimball, 
George  Little. 
Albee  C.  Sweatt. 


1871. 


1875. 


M. 
C. 

S. 


Rep. 


David  S.  Corser. 
Atherton  Sweatt. 
Charles  E.  Kimball, 
P.  F.  S.  Clark, 
C.  Sweatt. 
John  C.  Pearson. 


M. 
C. 

s. 


Rep. 


Sherman  Little. 
Atherton  Sweatt. 
Charles  C.  Kimball, 
Hiram  G.  Stone,       , 
James  L.  Gerrish. 
Sherman  Little. 


1872. 


1876. 


M. 
C. 

s. 


Rep. 


David  S.  Corser. 
Atherton  Sweatt. 
Albe  C.  Sweatt, 
P.  F.  S.  Clark, 
William  W.  Burbank. 
John  C.  Pearson. 


M. 
C. 

S. 


Rep. 


Sherman  Little. 
Atherton  Sweatt. 
Charles  C.  Kimball, 
James  L.  Gerrish, 
James  M.  Snyder. 
Sherman  Little. 


1873. 


1877. 


M. 
C. 

s. 


Rep. 


Sherman  Little. 
Atherton  Sweatt. 
Atherton  Sweatt, 
P.  F.  S.  Clark, 
William  W.  Burbank. 
Albee  C.  Sweatt. 


M. 
C. 

S. 


Rep. 


Sherman  Little. 
Atherton  Sweatt. 
James  L.  Gerrish, 
James  M.  Snyder, 
William  W.  Austin. 
Charles  C.  Kimball. 


1878. 


M. 
C. 

s. 


Rep. 


Sherman  Little. 
Atherton  Sweatt. 
James  M.  Snyder, 
William  W.  Austin, 
Moody  A.  Pillsbury. 
Charles  C.  Kimball. 


^'  (fh.^jtxjiZ^ 


POPULATION — ELEVATIONS.  635 

POPULATION. 

The  first  census  of  the  town  was  that  of  1767  [p.  99],  285 
inhabitants.  In  1783,  when  the  first  census  after  the  Kevolution 
was  taken,  the  number  was  756  [p.  128].  The  first  census  of  the 
general  government  was  in  1790.     Tlie  returns  are  as  follows  : 


1767, 

285 

1830, 

2003 

1783, 

756 

1840, 

1965 

1790, 

1108 

1850, 

2063 

1800, 

1414 

1860, 

1458* 

1810, 

1829 

1870, 

1637 

1820, 

2116 

WEBSTER. 

1860,  817  I  1870,  689 

ELEVATIONS. 

The  "Geology  of  New  Hampshire,"  by  Prof.  C.  H.  Hitchcock, 
vol.  1,  contains  a  chapter  on  altitudes  in  the  state,  that  have  been 
obtained  accurately  by  the  various  railroad  surveys, — others  less 
accurately  by  barometrical  measurements  made  by  the  Geological 
Survey,  and  by  the  trigonometrical  measurements  of  the  United 
States  Coast  Survey.  The  measurements  are  aboA^e  tide-water, 
and  those  along  the  Northern  Railroad  are  made  on  the  top  of  the 
rail  at  the  various  localities.  They  are  given  in  feet  and  hun- 
dredths of  feet : 

Feet. 
Fisherville  bridge,  leading  to  Duston  island,  267.89 

Boscawen  depot,  273.89 

North  Boscawen  depot,  290.01 

The  altitudes  along  the  Blackwater  were  obtained  by  surveys 
made  in  1845,  and  again  in  1871 : 

Feet. 

Mast  Yard  (in  Concord),  374.57 

Dingit  corner,  479.90 

Blackwater  river,  near  mill  above  Dingit  corner,  442.96 

Bank  of  river  on  level  land  near  residence  of  Orlando  Fitts,  508.80 

Bank  of  river  above  Blackwater  mills,  555.00 

North  hne  of  Webster,  568.72 

*  Town  divided . 

41 


636  HEALTH. 

The  United  States  Coast  Survey,  by  trigonometrical  measure- 
ments made  from  the  station  on  Kearsarge  mountain,  gives  two 
measurements  in  Webster : 

Feet. 
Blackwater  mills,  555.00 

Corser  bill  meeting-house,  786.00 

The  highest  land  in  Webster  is  the  liill  west  of  the  residence  of 
Cajjt.  William  D.  George,  which  probably  has  an  elevation  of  be- 
tween 900  and  1,000  feet.  Mount  Washington  is  plainly  seen 
from  that  point  in  a  clear  atmosphere.  The  AVhite  Mountains 
may  also  be  seen  from  the  residence  of  Peter  M.  Chadwick,  in 
Boscawen,  and  probably  from  other  localities. 

As  the  Merrimack  foi'ms  the  eastern  and  the  Contoocook  skirts 
the  southern  boundaries,  the  lowest  elevation  is  at  the  junction  of 
the  two  streams,  267.89  feet  above  tide-water.  Nearly  all  the  ter- 
ritory— all  except  the  intervale  of  the  Merrimack — has  an  elevation 
exceeding  300  feet;  while  Clark's  hill.  Upper  High  street,  K'orth 
Water  street.  Cook's  hill.  Little  hill,  and  Sanborn's  hill,  have  ele- 
vations approaching  1,000  feet. 

HEALTH. 

A  territory  like  that  comprised  in  the  seven  miles  square  grant- 
ed to  the  proprietors  of  Contoocook,  diversified  by  hills  and  vales, 
with  a  primitive  geological  formation,  with  an  altitude  varying 
from  300  to  1,000  feet  above  the  sea,  with  pure  water  flowing 
from  innumerable  springs  and  everywhere  obtainable,  never  will 
be  subject  to  malarial  disease,  or  epidemic  of  any  kind,  if  proper 
attention  be  given  to  hygienic  laws. 

A  record  of  mortality  was  kept  by  Eev.  Ebenezer  Price  from 
1808  to  1837,  and  is  preserved  in  the  records  for  1841.  The  least 
number  of  deaths  in  any  one  year  was  in  1809,  when  there  were 
but  nine  deaths  in  a  population  of  1,800.  The  greatest  mortality 
was  in  1825,  when  the  deaths  numbered  57  in  a  population  of 
about  2,200.  The  average  number  of  deaths  per  annum  was  27. 
One  third  of  the  deaths  during  the  period  were  of  children  under 
five  years  of  age,  and  one  half  of  the  deaths  were  of  persons  under 
25.     The  disease  most  prevalent  among  adults  was   consumption, 


INDUSTRIES.  637 

which  from  1822  to  1837  had  an  increasing  ratio, — 110  persons 
having  died  of  that  disease,  or  one  eiglith  of  the  total  number  of 
deaths.  Persons  arriving  at  the  age  of  55  had  a  prospect  of  lon- 
gevity. In  1836  and  1837  seven  persons  died  whose  united  ages 
amounted  to  590  years, — an  average  of  81  years.  In  1838  there 
were  living  in  town  20  jiersons  between  80  and  94  years  of  age, 
whose  united  ages  amounted  to  1,716  years,  an  average  of  nearly 
87  years  per  individual. 

INDUSTRIES. 

Boscawen  and  Webster  are  classed  as  agricultural  towns,  but 
they  have  also  had  a  fair  share  of  industrial  pursuits.  Rev.  Mr. 
Price,  writing  in  1820,  thus  speaks  of  the  industries  of  the  town 
at  that  period : 

"  There  are  in  this  town  seventeen  saw-mills,  five  corn-mills, — three 
of  which  have  two  runs  of  stones,  and  all  furnished  with  bolts, — four 
fulling-mills,  five  carding-machines,  two  mills  for  grinding  tanners' 
bark,  one  trip-hammer,  one  mill  for  turning  cart-wheel  hubs  and  felloes, 
and  one  for  grinding  lead  for  potters'  ware." 

LUMBER. 

A  chief  industry  from  the  first  settlement  of  tlie  town  was  the 
manufacture  of  lumber.  The  original  forest  growth  was  very 
dense,  consisting  of  white  and  Norway  pine,  white  and  red  oah, 
chestnut,  ash,  white,  red,  and  brown  elm,  hemlock,  poplar,  bass, 
maple,  and  other  woods.  Of  pine  lumber  thousands  of  masts, 
spars,  and  bowsprits  were  rafted  down  the  Merrimack,  or  turned 
adrift  in  the  Contoocook,  to  run  the  falls  during  the  periods  of  high 
water.  The  "  Mast  Yard  "  station  on  the  Concord  &  Claremont 
Railroad  has  derived  its  name  from  the  fact  that  the  bank  of  the 
Contoocook  at  that  point  was  a  place  of  deposit  for  the  many 
masts  drawn  thither  from  the  pine  woods  of  Bashan,  and  the  ad- 
joining territory  of  Concord  and  Hopkinton. 

The  sawed  lumber  was  rafted  at  different  points  along  the  Mer- 
rimack, especially  in  the  bend  above  Canterbury  bridge.  For  a 
period  of  more  than  half  a  century  the  ground  now  occupied  by 
the  main  and  side  tracks  of  the  Northern  Railroad  was  jiiled,  in 
winter,  with  lumber,  round  logs,  oak  and  pine  ship-timber,  masts 
and  spars,  that  were  rafted  to  Medford ; — in  summer,  the  same 


638 


INDUSTRIES. 


ground  was  covered  with  huge  piles  of  planks,  boards,  shingles, 
clapboards,  and  laths.  The  planks  and  boards  were  rafted  in 
cribs,  suitable  for  passing  the  locks  at  various  points,  and  the 
shingles,  clapboards,  and  laths  were  taken  as  "top-loading."  The 
markets  were  Lowell  and  Boston. 

Early  in  the  century  a  large  business  was  done  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  staves  for  sugar  and  molasses  hogsheads,  and  beef  and 
pork  barrels.  They  were  made  up  into  "shooks,"  each  shook 
containing  the  staves  of  a  single  barrel  or  hogshead.  The  mar- 
ket, before  the  construction  of  the  jMiddlesex  canal  between  the 
Merrimack  and  Boston,  was  at  NewburyjDort.  A  "culler"  of 
staves  was  an  important  town  officer,  annually  elected,  who  in- 
spected the  "  shocks."  The  shooks  were  taken  down  the  Merri- 
mack as  top-loading  on  rafts.  Coopering,  from  the  Revolution  to 
the  year  1830,  was  a  distinct  industry,  furnishing  emjiloyment  to 
a  large  number  of  persons. 

MILLS. 

The  saw-mills  existing  in  1820  were  thus  located :  One  on  the 
Contoocook  at  Fisherville ;  one  on  j\Iill  lirook ;  one  in  the  "Hollow," 
on  the  site  of  the  first  mill  erected  in  the  town  ;  one  on  the  site 
now  owned  by  Hannibal  Flanders ;  one  near  Long  street,  on  land 
now  owned  by  Jeremiah  C.  Chadwick ;  one  on  Pond  brook ;  one  on 
the  site  of  the  second  mill  erected  in  town,  south  of  Great  pond ; 
one  near  the  residence  of  Joseph  Burpee  ;  one  owned  by  Gren.  M. 
A.  Pillsbury ;  one  by  Enoch  Pillsbury ;  and  one  on  the  site  now 
owned  by  Harvey  Chase.  At  North  Boscawen  was  a  mill  on  the 
brook  emptying  into  the  Merrimack  south  of  the  county  farm, 
and  one  on  Stirrujj-iron  brook.  On  the  Blackwater  was  one  on 
the  site  near  the  residence  of  Samuel  Little  ;  one  a  mile  north  of 
Dingit  corner ;  one  on  the  site  now  occupied  by  F.  L.  &  W.  W. 
Burbank ;  one  on  Knight's  Meadow  brook ;  and  one  at  the  out- 
let of  Long  pond.  On  Cold  brook  there  was  a  mill  with  a  large 
overshot  wheel,  the  flume  supplying  it  being  carried  over  the 
highway  leading  south  from  the  cemetery  to  Queen  street.  It 
was  built  by  David  Jackman. 

The  corn-mills,  existing  in  1820,  were  located, — one  in  the 
"  Hollow  ; "  one  on  the  site  now  owned  by  Hannibal  Flanders  ; 
Sweatt  &  Gookin's,  on  the  Blackwater;  and  a  mill  with  one  run  of 
stones,  on  Pond  brook,  owned  by  Gen.  M.  A.  Pillsbury. 


INDUSTRIES. 


639 


The  fulling  and  clotli-dressiug  mills  were  Gage's,  at  Fislierville, 
Durgin's,  in  the  "  Hollow,"— the  first  established  in  town,  hy 
Dea.  Isaac  Pearson, — and  "  Sweatt's,"  on  the  Blackwater. 

The  carding-machines  were  in  the  same  localities.  The  first 
carding-machine  in  the  United  States  was  set  up  by  Arthur 
Scolfield,  a  machinist  who  came  from  England  and  settled  in 
Pittsfield,  Mass.,  in  the  year  1800.  England  at  that  time  was  in- 
tent upon  building  up  her  manufacturing  industries,  and  prohib- 
ited the  carrying  out  of  that  country  machinists'  tools.  The 
baggage  of  every  passenger  was  rigorously  searched,  so  that  Scol- 
field came  without  his  tools  ;  but  being  ingenious,  and  possessing  a 
retentive  memory,  he  made  his  tools  as  he  needed  them,  and  built 
a  machine  for  carding.  At  that  time  all  carding  was  done  by 
hand;  and  men  and  women  during  the  long  winter  evenings  spent 
their  time  in  carding,  seated  around  the  wide-mouthed  fireplaces. 
The  Pittsfield  Sun,  of  ^NTo.  2,  1801,  contains  the  following  adver- 
tisement of  the  first  machine  in  the  United  States  : 

"Arthur  Scolfield  respectfully  informs  the  inhabitants  of  Pittsfield 
and  the  neighboring  towns  that  he  has  a  carding-machine  half  a  mile 
west  of  the  meeting-house,  where  they  may  have  their  wool  carded  into 
rolls  for  twelve  and  a  half 'cents  a  pound;  mixed,  fifteen  cents  per 
pound.  If  they  find  grease  and  pick  the  grease  in,  it  will  be  ten  cents 
a  pound;  and  twelve  and  a  half  for  mixed." 

"  Mixed  "  has  reference  to  black  and  white  wools,  and  "  picking 
the  grease  in  "  has  reference  to  the  lubrication  of  the  wool,  neces- 
sary for  carding  and  spinning.  Carding  by  machinery  soon  su- 
perseded hand  carding  to  a  great  extent,  though  the  compiler  of 
this  history  can  recall  the  days  of  hand  carding,  and  once  saw 
Kev.  Dr.  Wood  using  the  cards  and  studying  at  the  same  time  his 
next  Sunday's  sermon. 

The  first  carding-machines  in  Boscawen  were  probably  set  up 
about  1810-1812.  A  carding-mill  was  a  building,  which,  besides 
its  machinery,  contained  a  large  pile  of  wool  done  up  in  blankets, 
old  counterpanes,  and  rugs,  and  a  pot  containing  the  unsavory 
dye,  which  must  be  kept  in  a  warm  place  to  bring  it  to  perfection. 

SPIXXING   AND    WEAVING. 

Spinning  was  done  by  hand.  Twelve  to  fifteen  skeins  per  day 
was  considered  a  good  day's  work,  though  there  were  housewives 


640  INDUSTRIES. 

who  could  spin  twenty.  Thirteen  skeins  were  equivalent  to  three 
and  eight  one  hundreths  miles  of  thread,  in  spinning  which  the 
spinner  walked  about  five  mi4es.  Having  spun  the  wool  into 
yarn,  that  designed  for  the  warp  was  placed  upon  the  reel  and 
wound  upon  large  spools,  which  were  in  turn  placed  in  a  form, 
and  from  thence  transferred  to  the  "warping  bars."  As  many 
spools  were  used  as  there  were  threads  in  the  proposed  warp. 
From  the  "bars"  the  \farp  was  transferred  to  the  loom,  wound 
upon  the  "beam,"  and  drawn  through  the  "harness"  and  the  reed, 
and  was  ready  for  the  weaver. 

The  "  filling"  or  weft  was  spun  differently  from  the  warp,  with 
more  or  less  hardness,  according  to  the  quality  of  cloth  desired. 
It  was  transferred  from  the  skein  to  "quills"  made  from  elder 
stocks,  which  were  used  in  the  shuttle.  The  preparation  of  the 
weft  was  far  less  arduous  work  than  the  preparation  of  the  warp. 
To  weave  checks  and  stripes,  much  care  was  required  in  the  prep- 
aration of  both  warp  and  weft,  and  in  the  weaving.  The  produc- 
tion of  a  web  of  cloth  was  quite  an  event  in  the  household.  Dyed 
clothes  were  dyed  in  the  wool,  in  the  skein,  or  in  tlie  web.  Cloth 
dyed  in  the  wool  usually  held  its  color  best.  The  aphorism  in 
common  use,  in  regard  to  a  man  whose. principles  are  fixed,  that 
"he  is  dyed  in  the  wool,"  had  its  origin  in  this  process  of  dyeing. 

SPINNING    BY    MACHINERY. 

Early  in  the  century,  between  1810  and  1815,  Mr.  Benjamin 
Pritchard  established  a  new  industry,  the  spinning  of  cotton  yarn. 
He  erected  a  building  on  the  mill-site  now  owned  by  Hannibal 
Flanders,  and  spun  yarn  by  machinery.  The  building  was  subse- 
quently moved  to  a  site  north  of  Ambrose's  tavern,  and  was  used 
as  a  shop  for  the  manufacture  of  carriages,  and  is  now  a  dwelling- 
house  in  Fisherville.  The  yarn  spun  by  Mr.  Pritchard  was  used 
for  warp  by  the  housewives  in  the  manufacture  of  satinets. 

The  establishment  of  manufactures  of  cotton  and  woollen  goods 
by  machinery  throughout  the  country  brought  about  an  entire 
change  in  the  domestic  industries.  The  spinning-wheel  and  loom 
disappeared  from  the  household ;  the  bumping  of  the  fulling-mill 
no  longer  was  heard ;  the  dye-pots  were  banished  from  the  hearth- 
stones ;  and  the  carders  and  cloth-dressers  were  forced  to  turn 
their  attention  to  new  occupations. 


Carding  and  Spinning, 


INDUSTRIES. 


PALM-LEAF     HATS. 


641 


Tlie  industry  that  in  part  took  the  place  of  spinning  and  weav- 
ing was  the  braiding  of  pahn-leaf  hats.  The  pahn-leaf  was  pur- 
chased in  bales  by  the  traders,  who  supplied  it  to  families  who 
split  and  braided  it  into  hats.  The  industry  was  not  a  universal 
one.  The  merchants  paid  cash  only  in  part,  making,  of  course,  a 
large  profit  on  the  goods  sold.  Families  in  comfortable  circum- 
stances would  not  engage  in  an  employment  in  which  they  would 
be  at  the  mercy  of  the  merchant,  who,  though  he  might  be  scru- 
pulously honest,  yet  could  fix  his  own  profit  and  their  measure  of 
o-ain.  It  was  a  jug  with  only  one  handle,  and  that  in  the  hands 
of  the  merchant.  Notwithstanding  this  drawback,  the  industry 
gave  employment  to  a  large  number  of  women  and  girls,  who 
otherwise  had  little  chance  of  earning  money. 

SHOES. 

■Following  this  industrj^,  was  the  manufacture  of  shoes.  This 
enterprise,  which  had  long  been  a  leading  industry  in  Massachu- 
setts and  along  the  sea-coast  towns  of  New  Hampshire,  did  not 
gain  a  foothold  in  Boscawen  till  about  1842.  The  leather, — upper 
and  sole, — cut  into  desired  patterns,  with  linings  and  bindings, 
was  taken  into  the  farmers'  houses,  and  shops.  The  stitching  and 
binding  were  done  by  women  and  girls,  and  the  bottoming  by  the 
men  and  boys,  who  purchased  their  shoe-pegs  by  the  peck,  and 
their  nails  by  the  pound.  Many  farmers,  who  never  had  learned 
anything  of  shoe-making,  turned  their  attention  to  pegging  shoes  ; 
but  the  trade  demanded  better  work,  and  it  was  discovered  that 
"system"  was  necessary  to  secure  the  best  results  in  manufac- 
ture :  hence  a  change  in  the  industry.  About  1850,  the  manu- 
facture, instead  of  being  carried  on  by  the  community  at  large, 
became  concentrated,  and  the  workmen  were  brought  together  in 
shops.  For  a  few  years  Boscawen  Plain  was  a  shoe  manufactur- 
ing village ;  but  the  introduction  of  machinery  into  the  manufac- 
ture in  Massachusetts,  and  the  distance  of  Boscawen  from  the 
great  centre  of  New  England  trade,  operated  to  break  down  the 
industry,  which  never  has  revived. 


642 


INDUSTRIES. 


HATS. 


The  manufacture  of  beaver  and  felt  hats  in  the  early  decades  of 
the  century  gave  employment  to  many  men  in  the  community  at 
large.  There  were  two  hat  establishments  in  Boscawen, — Mr. 
Jacob  Hosmer's,  on  the  Plain,  and  Mr.  Columbus  George's,  White 
Plain.  They  purchased  mink  and  muskrat  skins  of  the  farmers, 
and  also  made  silk  and  wool  hats,  finding  a  market  at  the  countr}' 
stores,  or  manufacturing  to  a  citizen's  order.  The  compiler  of  this 
history  has  a  distinct  recollection  of  having  a  hat  made  to  order 
and  fitted  to  his  head  in  the  shop  of  Mr.  Hosmer. 

POTTEKY. 

Queen's-ware  was  manufactured  for  many  years  in  Boscawen 
by  Jeremiah  Burpee.  His  establishment  stood  on  the  spot  now 
occupied  by  the  residence  of  John  Eines.  During  the  bright 
summer  days,  travellers  on  the  turnpike  were  accustomed  to  see  a 
white  horse  going  his  rounds,  attached  to  the  sweep  of  the  clay- 
mill,  while  through  an  open  window  of  the  shop  they  saw  Mr. 
Burpee  and  his  sons  fashioning  milk-jars  and  cream-pots  and  jugs 
upon  the  swiftly  revolving  wheels.  Upon  long  boards  on  the 
southern  side  of  the  shop  were  rows  of  manufactured  articles 
drying  in  the  sun.  Later  in  the  season,  at  midnight,  the  shop 
was  all  aglow  with  the  light  of  the  flame  of  the  kiln.  The  ware 
found  a  market  among  the  farmers  of  the  country. 

CUT    NAILS. 

There  was  a  time  when  all  nails  were  manufactured  of  wrought 
iron,  by  hand.  The  blacksmiths  of  the  country,  when  not  engaged 
in  other  labors  incident  to  their  occupation,  engaged  in  making 
nails,  knowing  that  the  time  would  come  when  they  would  be 
wanted. 

In  1795,  five  years  after  the  passage  of  the  patent  law,  Josiah 
G.  Pearson,  of  jSTew  York,  patented  an  invention  for  cutting  nails. 
Whether  nails  had  been  manufactured  by  cutting  before  that,  is 
not  known.  The  next  year  (1796)  eleven  patents  were  issued  for 
methods  of  making  nails,  brads,  and  tacks,  the  greater  part  of 
the  machines  having  reference  to  '"'cutting  and  heading."  The 
manufacture  of  nails  and  tacks  soon  became  a  widespread  indus- 
try.    Mr.  Jeremiah  Gerrish  engaged  in  the  business  on  the  farm 


INDUSTRIES. 


643 


now  owned  hj  Charles  Glitten.  The  manufacture  was  also  car- 
ried on  in  the  "Hollow"  by  water-power.  At  what  date  the  man- 
ufacture began  in  the  town  is  not  known,  nor  how  long  it  was 
continued.  The  machinery  was  rude,  and  probably  gave  place  to 
the  greatly  improved  machinery  which  appeared  about  1809,  in- 
vented by  James  Eeed,  of  Maiden,  Mass.,  which  cut  and  headed 
a  nail  at  a  single  operation. 

CLOCKS. 

Boscawen  at  one  time  had  two  establislnnents  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  eight-day  clocks,  which  also  exhibited  on  the  dial  the  days 
of  the  week  and  the  changes  of  the  moon.  The  cases  were  usu- 
ally made  of  cherry,  and  ornamented  with  brass  rings  and  knobs. 
They  were  excellent  time-keepers.  Mr.  Chadwick's  shop  was  a 
one-storied  building,  which  stood  on  the  spot  now  occupied  by  the 
post-office.  It  was  subsequently  moved  across  the  street,  a  second 
story  added,  and  is  now  a  dwelling-house.  Mr.  Morrill's  shop  is 
now  the  residence  of  Charles  E.  Chadwick. 

Upon  the  introduction  of  the  more  modern  "  time-piece,"  Mr. 
Chadwick  retired  from  business,  and  removed  to  Vermont.  Mr. 
Morrill  accommodated  himself  to  the  new  order  of  things,  and 
made  time-pieces ;  but  machine-made  clocks  soon  su})planted  the 
time-pieces,  and  Mr.  Morrill  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  coun- 
ter scales.  In  1841,  upon  the  appearance  of  the  new  musical 
reed  instruments,  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  "  melodeons" 
and  "  seraphines." 

TANNING. 

The  great  abundance  of  oak  and  hemlock  bark  gave  an  oppor- 
tunity for  the  tanning  of  leather.  There  were  three  tanneries  in 
town, — that  of  John  C.  Cogswell,  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Raymond; 
one  owned  by  John  Plummer,  at  the  junction  of  Water  and  Long 
streets ;  and  one  owned  by  John  Stevens  at  Sweatt's  mills.  Mr. 
Cogswell  and  Mr.  Stevens  used  water-power  for  grinding  the  bark 
and  working  their  rude  machinery.  Mr.  Plummer  used  horse- 
power. They  purchased  hides  of  the  farmers,  or  tanned  them 
on  hire. 


644  MANUFACTURING    AT    FISHERVILLE, 


MANUFACTURING  AT  FISHERVILLE. 

jSTo  attempt  was  made  to  utilize  the  water  of  the  Contoocook 
river  till  1787,  when  a  saw-mill  was  built  at  the  "  Burrough"  on 
the  Concord  side.  Not  long  after,  a  saw-mill  was  built  on  the 
Boscawen  side  near  the  Merrimack,  on  the  site  of  the  present 
mill.  This  was  followed  by  the  carding-mill  and  cloth-dressing . 
establishment  of  William  H.  Gage.  The  manufacture  of  cotton 
and  woollen  goods  at  length  made  a  demand  for  water-power  to 
drive  that  machinery.  This  power  attracted  the  attention  of  cap- 
italists ;  and  in  1823  or  1824  a  gentleman  of  the  name  of  Varney, 
from  the  vicinity  of  Dover,  made  a  purchase  of  the  power  and  the 
land  on  the  north  side  of  the  river  now  owned  by  the  present  com- 
pany. He  built  a  dam  where  the  upper  dam  now  is ;  but  for  some 
reason  his  project  fell  through,  and  nothing  more  was  done  until 
1830,  when  the  Yarney  purchase  was  conveyed  to  Benjamin  Kim- 
ball, Esq.,  by  the  Hon.  Jeremiah  Mason,  acting  for  the  L^nited 
States  Bank,  into  Avhose  hands  it  had  passed. 

Mr.  Kimball  built  the  dam  at  the  lower  falls,  on  his  purchase, 
and  erected  the  grist-mill  adjoining  the  Contoocook  mill.  He  died 
in  1831 ;  and  the  property  was  sold  to  JNtessrs.  Calvin  Gage  and 
William  M.  Kimball,  being  deeded  to  them  by  Mr.  Kimball  about 
three  weeks  before  his  death.  They  obtained  the  charter  for  the 
Contoocook  Manufacturing  Company,  and  sold  to  the  Messrs. 
Fisher,  of  Boston,  whose  heirs  now  own  all,  or  nearly  all,  of  the 
stock.  In  1836,  the  Contoocook  mill  was  erected.  It  is  100  feet 
by  50,  five  stories  high,  and  was  built  of  granite.  In  consequence 
of  the  financial  revulsion  in  1837,  this  mill  stood  idle,  or  nearly 
so,  till  1842.  It  was  then  leased  by  Messrs.  IT.  H.  &  J.  S.  Brown, 
of  Attleborough,  Mass.  They  fitted  the  mill  with  machinery,  and 
set  the  wheel  in  motion.  Then  the  village  began  to  grow,  and  the 
"Union  district"  became  Fisherville. 

The  company  not  long  after  purchased  the  land  on  the  south 
side  of  the  river,  and  in  1846  built  the  Penacook  mill.  This 
mill  is  300  feet  by  52,  three  stories  high,  with  a  wheel-house  at 
each  end  36  feet  by  30.  It  is  built  of  stone.  This  mill  was 
leased  b}^  the  Messrs.  Brown,  and  run  in  connection  with  the  Con- 
toocook mill.     Both  mills  manufacture  "print  cloth,"  and  have 


BRIDGES.  ^"*^ 

been  run  all  or  nearly  all  the  time  by  the  Messrs.  Brown,  either 
in  partnership  or  separately. 

In  1847,  Almon  Harris,  of  Harrisville,  purchased  the  site  of  the 
old  grist-  and  clothing-mill  near  the  Merrimack,  and  built  a  stone 
edifice  75  feet  by  40,  three  stories  high,  and  commenced  the  man- 
ufacture of  woollen  goods.  As  the  manufacture  of  cotton  and 
woollens  always  draws  in  other  industries,  it  was  not  long  before 
the  saw  factory  and  the  flouring-mill  were  erected  near  the  Mer- 
rimack, and  in  the  centre  of  the  village.  Buildings  for  the  man- 
ufacture of  furniture  and  various  kinds  of  iron  and  wood  products 
were  erected,  so  that  to-day  Fisherville  can  exhibit  a  variety  of 
manufactures.  Fisherville  has  now  about  three  thousand  inhab- 
itants, is  pleasantly  situated  on  both  sides  of  the  Contoocook  and 
partly  on  the  Merrimack  rivers.  That  portion  of  it  that  lies  in 
Concord  constitutes  Ward  One  of  that  city.  The  portion  in  Bos- 
caw^en  embraces  the  most  densely  populated  part  of  the  town.  It 
has  the  usual  number  of  churches  and  school-houses,  of  stores  and 
shops,  that  are  usually  found  in  such  villages,  mainly  located  on 
the  Concord  side. 

BEIDGES. 

CANTERBURY    BRIDGE. 

The  first  bridge  between  Boscawen  Plain  and  Canterbury  was 
erected  in  1804  [Civil  Hist.,  p.  165].  Toll  was  exacted  till  1816, 
when  the  proprietors  allowed  persons  to  pass  free  of  charge,  at  their 
own  risk,  the  bridge  not  being  considered  safe.  The  great  freshet 
of  1819  swept  the  structure  away,  whereupon  the  proprietors 
erected  a  new  bridge,  under  the  supervision  of  Col.  Isaac  Chandler 
of  Boscawen,  and  Jacob  Blanchard  of  Canterbury.  It  was  com- 
pleted in  the  summer  of  1820,  Init  was  washed  away  in  a  great 
winter  freshet  in  the  month  of  Februar}^,  1824. 

The  third  bridge  was  built  by  Benjamin  Kimball,  of  Boscawen, 
for  the  proprietors,  in  1825,  which  remained  till  January,  1839. 
There  was  a  great  body  of  snow  upon  the  ground.  There  came  a 
warm  rain,  which  poured  continuously  nearly  36  hours.  The 
consequence  was  a  breaking  up  of  the  ice,  which  had  an  average 
thickness  of  about  two  feet.  Every  bridge  on  the  Merrimack, 
south  of  Franklin,  with  the  exception   of  the   Hooksett  and  the 


646 


BRIDGES. 


Amoskeag  falls  bridge,  was  swept  away.  The  proprietors  once 
more  constructed  a  bridge,  a  portion  of  which  was  carried  away 
in  the  winter  of  1848. 

The  construction  of  the  Northern  and  Montreal  railroads  had 
revolutionized  affairs  in  Boscawen.  The  highways  were  no  longer 
crowded  with  teams.  The  tavern-keepers  cut  down  their  signs. 
The  merchants  no  longer  had  a  throng  of  customers  from  other 
towns.  The  tide  of  travel  between  Boscawen  and  Canterburj^  was 
greatly  diminished,  and  there  was  no  inducement  for  private  indi- 
viduals to  invest  their  money  in  a  bridge. 

Up  to  this  time  there  had  been  but  one  free  bridge  across  the 
Merrimack,  from  Camj^ton  to  the  sea — that  erected  in  Concord  in 
1839,  which  had  been  carried  away  in  1841,  and  rebuilt,  and  again 
seriously  injured.  The  town  of  Concord  had  voted,  in  1842,  that 
in  the  opinion  of  the  legal  voters  the  bridge  ought  not  to  be  main- 
tained at  the  expense  of  the  town.  It  was  argued  that  the 
town  ought  not  to  support  it  for  the  benefit  of  the  general  public, 
but  that  it  ought  to  be  a  county  affair.  The  other  towns  in  the 
county  opposed  it  on  the  plea  that  it  was  no  concern  of  theirs,  as 
they  had  little  or  no  occasion  to  use  it. 

While  Concord  was  thus  discussing  the  question,  citizens  of 
Boscawen  and  Canterbury  petitioned  the  county  commissioners  to 
erect  a  bridge  to  be  supported  by  the  two  towns.  This  was  re- 
sisted by  both  towns,  till  1857.  Meanwhile  the  public  had  been 
educated  up  to  the  idea  of  free  bridges,  the  Boscawen  bridge 
having  been  built  meanwhile.  The  petitioners  were  finally  suc- 
cessful in  their  efforts  ;  and  the  present  covered  structure  was 
erected  in  the  autumn  of  1857,  by  Mr.  E.  L.  Childs,  of  Concord, 
under  the  supervision  of  Mr.  John  Abbott,  of  the  same  place. 

BOSCAWEX    BRIDGE. 

The  bridge  across  the  Merrimack,  at  its  junction  with  the  Con- 
toocook,  was  built  by  a  company  incorjiorated  in  1802,  and  was 
constructed  the  same  year.  The  capital  stock  consisted  of  29 
shares,  the  par  value  of  which  was  $29.  The  stock  was  taken  by 
citizens  of  Boscawen  and  Concord.  Col.  Isaac  Chandler  was  the 
largest  stockholder, — subscribing  for  six  shares.  It  was  some- 
times called  Chandler's  bridge. 

At  that  time  Portsmouth   and    Newburyport  were  important 


BRIDGES. 


647 


commercial  towns,  and  tlie  travel  was  largely  in  that  direction. 
For  a  few  years  the  bridge  was  remunerative  to  the  proprietors, 
but  the  selection  of  Concord  for  the  capital,  and  the  opening  of 
the  Middlesex  canal,  with  boating  to  Concord,  turned  the  travel 
in  a  new  direction.  The  original  structure  stood  till  1839,  when 
it  was  swept  away  by  the  great  ice  freshet  which  destroyed  many 
bridges  on  the  Merrimack.  A  chain-ferry  served  the  piiblic  till 
1853,  when  the  present  bridge  was  built  by  Boscawen  and  Can- 
terbury". 

SECOND    CONTOOCOOK    BRIDGE. 

The  second  bridge  across  the  Contoocook  was  built  in  1805,  on 
the  site  of  the  first  bridge,  in  the  bend  of  the  river,  east  of  Pen- 
acook  hotel.  The  contract  was  taken  by  Lieut.  John  Flanders, 
on  2  September,  1805,  to  be  completed  1  October,  the  same  year. 

The  original  document  is  in  existence.  The  bridge  was  to  be 
of  good  pine  timber,  20  feet  wide  ;  to  be  three  and  one  half  feet 
higher  than  the  old  bridge  at  the  ends,  and  five  feet  higher  in  the 
middle.  The  piers  were  to  have  four  posts  each  16  inches  square, 
a  good  mud-sill,  and  a  cap  16  by  20  inches,  and  two  braces  16  inches 
square,  "as  long  as  may  be  necessary."  "There  shall  be  a  pier  on 
each  side  of  the  old  box,  with  good  mud-sills  and  four  posts  to  each 
pier,  the  end-posts  to  be  17  by  20  inches  square,  and  the  middle 
posts  shall  be  13  by  10  inches  square.  The  two  piers  shall  be 
be  planked  with  good  plank  to  within  two  feet  of  low  water,  and 
up  within  four  feet  of  the  cap.  Said  bridge  shall  be  planked  with 
good  plank  three  and  a  half  inches  in  thickness.  There  shall  be 
bolts  of  iron  one  inch  square  through  the  string  piece  in  the  same 
manner  as  in  the  old  bridge."  The  bridge  was  constructed  by  the 
towns  of  Boscawen  and  Concord. 

CONTOOCOOK  RIVER  BRIDGE  CONTROVERSY. 

Previous  to  1823  the  highway  leading  from  the  tavern  of  Capt. 
John  Chandler  to  Concord  was  laid  easterly  by  the  residence  of 
Nathan  Chandler,  down  the  steep  hill  to  the  right,  crossing  the 
Contoocook  river  at  the  narrow  gorge  below  the  falls,  thence 
south  across  the  line  between  the  towns  by  the  school-house  and 
homestead  of  Winthrop  Elliot  (a  house  now  standing)  to  the 
main  road.     The  large  amount  of  transportation  over  this  highway 


648  THE    DUSTON    MEMORIAL. 

hy  teams  from  the  nortli  required  a  road  that  would  avoid  the 
steep  hill  on  the  north  bank  of  the  river.  For  the  .better  accom- 
modation of  the  public,  the  court  of  sessions,  in  the  year  1821, 
which  by  the  law  of  8  Feb.,  1791,  had  the  power  to  lay  out  public 
liighwaj^s  in  certain  cases,  laid  out  a  road  from  the  tavern  before 
mentioned  in  Boscawen,  in  a  straight  line  across  Contoocook 
river  to  what  is  now  Washington  square  in  Concord,  upon  condi- 
tion that  the  town  of  Boscawen  should  give  security  to  maintain 
one  half  the  bridge  over  the  Contoocook,  which  bridge  was  part  of 
the  road  so  laid  out.  This  change  would  remove  the  bridge  from 
the  town  of  Boscawen  to  Concord.  The  bond  is  in  the  hand- 
writing of  Ezekiel  Webster,  and  bears  date  12  Jan.,  1822. 

By  this  arrangement  the  bridge  was  built  in  1823,  and  the 
agreement  adliered  to  until  1839,  when  a  controversy  arose  be- 
tween the  towns  in  regard  to  the  boundary,  when  the  town  of 
Boscawen  neglected  to  carry  out  the  provisions  of  the  contract  en- 
tered into  in  1822.  The  town  of  Concord,  being  aggrieved  at  the 
action  of  the  town  of  Boscawen  in  this  matter,  commenced  a  suit 
against  Boscawen,  upon  the  bond,  in  the  court  of  common  pleas, 
which  was  afterwards  transferred  to  the  superior  court,  of  which 
Hon.  Joel  Parker  was  chief-justice.  The  case  was  conducted  by 
Franklin  Pierce  and  Asa  Fowler  for  Concord,  and  Ichabod  Bart- 
lett  for  Boscawen.  At  the  Dec.  term,  1845,  a  decision  was  ren- 
dered by  Judge  Woods  in  favor  of  Boscawen,  who  said  that  ''the 
contract  by  which  they  undertook  to  bind  themselves  to  raise 
money  for  building  the  bridge  was  not  founded  upon  such  a  con- 
sideration as  to  create  a  debt,  and  thus  give  the  town  a  power  to 
raise  money."  Since  1845  this  bridge  has  been  maintained  by 
Concord. 

*  THE  DUSTON  MEMORIAL. 

On  the  island  at  the  mouth  of  the  Contoocook  river  stands  the 
granite  memorial  erected  to  commemorate  the  achievement  of 
Mrs.  Duston,  Mary  Neff,  and  Samuel  Leonardson,  in  liberating 
themselves  from  captivity.  The  statue  was  erected  mainly  through 
the  efforts  of  Eobert  B.  Caverly  of  Lowell,  and  E.  S.  Nutter  of 
Concord.  The  first  step  to  that  end  was  the  conveyance,  by 
Messrs.  John  C.  and  Calvin  Gage,  to  Eev.  Nathaniel  Bouton,  E. 


ksc4^' 


Dustin  Monument. 


ANCIENT    HOUSES,  G49 

S.  Nutter,  and  R.  B.  Caverly,  in  trust,  all  of  the  land  lying  east 
of  the  Northern  Railroad,  iipon  the  island,  for  the  purpose  of  es- 
tablishing a  memorial.  Funds  to  the  amount  of  ^6,000  were 
raised  by  subscription.  Tlie  statue  and  pedestal  are  of  Concord 
granite,  after  a  design  by  William  Andrews,  of  Lowell.  The 
sculptors  were  Andrew  Orsolini,  James  Murray,  and  Charles  H. 
Andrews,  the  builder  Porter  E.  Blanchard. 

The  monument  was  unveiled  17  June,  1874,  with  appropriate 
ceremonies.  There  was  a  large  gathering  of  people.  Addresses 
were  made  by  Rev.  N.  Ronton,  of  Concord ;  R.  B.  Caverl}',  Esq., 
of  Lowell ;  Hon.  G.  W.  Nesmith,  of  Franklin  ;  Maj.  Gen.  S.  G. 
Griffin,  of  Keene ;  D.  0.  Allen,  of  Lowell ;  Hon.  B.  F.  Prescott, 
of  Epping ;  Col.  J.  H.  George,  of  Concord ;  Rev.  Elias  Nasou,  of 
Billerica ;  Charles  C.  Coffin,  of  Boston  ;  Rev.  W.  T.  Savage,  of 
Franklin ;  Ex.-Gov.  Onslow  Stearns,  of  Concord, — and  others. 
Gov.  James  A.  Weston  accepted  the  deed  in  trust  for  the  state. 

ANCIENT  HOUSES. 

The  oldest  house  now  remaining  in  Boscawen  is  that  standing 
near  the  site  of  the  old  fort,  occupied  by  the  second  minister  of 
the  town.  Rev.  Robie  Morrill  [see  Civil  Hist.],  who  became  a  cit- 
izen in  1761.     The  building  probably  was  erected  by  him. 

The  house  next  in  age,  probably,  is  the  residence  of  Mr.  Frank- 
lin P.  Atkinson,  which  was  occupied  by  Dea.  Jesse  Flanders,  and 
was  built  by  him  before  1765. 

The  residence  of  Mr.  Colby,  on  Water  street,  was  built  in  1768, 
by  Capt.  Peter  Coffin. 

The  house  of  G.  W.  Fisher,  formerly  the  residence  of  Peter 
Coffin,  son  of  Capt.  Moses,  was  built  about  1770,  by  George  Jack- 
man. 

The  house  of  Mr.  Silver  next  west  of  Mr.  Franklin  P. 
Atkinson's,  formerly  stood  near  the  residence  of  Mr.  Jacob  C. 
Flanders.  It  was  built  by  Andrew  Bohonnon,  and  possibly  is  one 
of  the  oldest  in  town. 

In  1775  there  were  but  two  framed  houses  west  of  Beaver  Dam 
brook,  neither  of  which  is  standing.  They  were  the  houses  of 
Jonathan  Cass  and  Benjamin  Day. 

The  oldest  house  in  Webster  is  the  residence  of  Mr.  Tilton,  on 
Corser  hill,  built  by  David  Corser. 


650  WILD    ANIMALS CHARACTERS. 

The  house  of  Dr.  Graves,  on  Boscawen  Plain,  was  built  by  Dr. 
Daniel  Peterson,  and  it  has  been  occupied  for  many  years  bj^  phy- 
sicians. Dr.  Peterson,  Dr.  Warren  E.  Chase,  Dr.  E.  K.  Webster, 
and  Dr.  Graves,  all  have  resided  there. 

The  residence  of  Mr.  C.  W.  Webster  was  built  in  1798  by  John 
Jackman,  who  also  did  most  of  the  work  on  the  meeting-house. 

The  house  owned  by  Mr.  James  Gill  was  built  by  Mr.  Gregg 
Emerson,  earl}^  in  the  century. 

The  parsonage  of  the  Congregational  society,  Boscawen,  was 
built  by  David  Burbank,  whose  blacksmith-shop  stood  near  by. 
It  was  the  residence  of  Mr.  Jeremiah  Gerrish,  who  presented  it  to 
the  society  in  his  last  will  and  testament. 

WILD  AITIMALS. 

Wolves  were  abundant  when  the  town  was  first  settled.  The 
last  wolf  killed  in  Boscawen  was  shot  about  1831-'32  by  Samuel 
Call,  near  Cook's  hill. 

Bears  were  also  abundant,  and  as  late  as  1810-'15  were  fre- 
quently seen  in  town. 

Beavers  were  numerous  on  all  the  streams.  The  compiler  can 
recall  several  dams  which  were  distinctly  recognizable  in  his  boy- 
hood, around  Great  pond  and  the  Water  street  meadows. 

When  the  town  was  first  settled  rattlesnakes  abounded,  es- 
pecially on  the  rocky  hills  of  Bashan.  Moses  Gerrish, — one  of 
the  early  settlers  of  that  section, — killed  more  than  50  in  one  day. 
Empirics  in  medicine  prescribed  the  oil  of  rattlesnakes'  hearts  as 
a  specific  for  consumption,  and  tlie  oil  thus  obtained  hy  Mr.  Ger- 
rish was  sold  to  the  Canterbury  Shakers  for  such  use.  Two  rat- 
tlesnakes were  killed  by  Gen.  M.  A.  Pillsbury  on  his  farm  about 
1840,  and  Mr.  Bitfield  Burbank  despatched  one  at  a  still  later 
date, — about  1847. 

CHABACTEKS. 

This  history  would  be  incomplete  if  no  mention  were  made  of 
the  "  characters,"  or  the  peculiar  men,  numbered  among  the  citi- 
zens. In  every  community  such  men  may  be  found.  Their 
neighbors  call  them  •'  odd  sticks."  They  are  wits,  jesters,  sat- 
irists, or  possessed  of  some  idiosyncrasy  that  distinguishes  them 


CHARACTERS.  651 

from  their  neighbors.  Tliey  may  be  wliolly  uneducated,  but  yet 
make  up  in  mother-wit  any  lack  of  acquired  knowledge.  They 
may  be  stupid  in  some  things,  and  exceedingly  brilliant  in  others. 
They  are  usually  men  abounding  in  good  nature,  who  rarely  take 
umbi-age  at  any  mistake  or  blunder  that  may  be  made,  who  are 
keenly  alive  to  fun,  who  appreciate  a  joke,  who  utter  ludicrous 
sayings  without  knowing  it,  or  who  coin  words  not  to  be  found  in 
any  lexicon. 

One  of  the  latter  class  was  Mr.  Amos  Blanchard,  whose  ac- 
quaintance with  books  was  limited,  who  possibly  never  conned  a 
page  of  Webster's  Unabridged  Dictionary,  but  who  nevertheless 
sometimes  coined  words  that  expressed  his  ideas  quite  as  well  as 
an}-  from  Greek  or  Latin  roots.  He  invariably  used  ''  ascertain  " 
as  a  synonym  for  thinJc  or  comprehend.  "  I  should  ascertain 
that  it  was  going  to  rain,"  was  a  common  form  of  expression. 
If  the  weather  was  lowering,  he  used  "  duberous  "  for  dubious. 
A  winter's  day,  when  the  wind  was  blowing  a  gale,  and  the  air 
filled  with  drifting  snow,  was  "boistorious  "  and  "  fluergent."  Is 
there  a  word  in  common  use  that  better  describes  such  a  day  ? 

Another  character  was  Thomas  Corser,  who  was  accustomed  to 
travel  through  the  town  with  medicinal  herbs,  distributing  them 
to  the  housewives.  He  usually  had  a  large  bundle  of  catnip,  fever- 
bush,  golden-rod,  etc.,  which  were  much  used  the  first  third  of  the 
century.  He  charged  nothing  for  these  herbs.  He  had  great 
faith  in  their  efficacy.  He  once  called  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Joel 
French,  whose  child  was  sick,  and  urged  the  mother  to  steep 
some  of  his  herbs. 

"  Do  it,  do  it,  if  you  want  to  save  his  life  !  Do  it !  If  it  kills 
him  I'll  pay  for  it !  " 

Mr.  Corser  lost  his  life  by  attempting  to  cross  Long  pond  on 
the  ice  before  it  was  sufficiently  strong  to  bear  him. 

Mr.  James  West,  who  for  manj'  3'ears  kept  tavern  on  the  Plain, 
in  the  house  occupied  by  Mr.  Dow,  was  a  genial  man,  a  popular 
host  with  the  travelling  community,  good  at  telling  a  story, 
and  who  delighted  in  a  joke.  About  the  close  of  the  first  third 
of  the  century.  Potter,  a  sleight-of-hand  performer,  of  xindover,  for 
whom  the  station  "  Potter  Place  "  was  named,  gave  an  entertain- 
ment on  the  Plain.  One  of  the  performances  of  the  evening  was 
cooking  eggs  in  a  hat.  The  prestidigitateur  borrowed  a  hat  from 
42 


652  CHARACTERS, 

some  one  in  the  audience,  broke  several  eggs  into  it,  seemingly, 
then  pronouncing  some  cabalistic  words,  and  shaking  the  hat,  pro- 
duced from  this  novel  frying-kettle  eggs  nicely  cooked,  which 
were  passed  around  to  the  audience,  and  the  hat  also,  without  a 
stain  upon  its  lining.  Of  course  no  eggs  were  broken  into  the 
hat :  it  was  all  deception. 

On  the  evening  after  the  performance,  the  usual  circle  of 
loungers  of  the  bar-room  were  discussing  the  marvellous  trick 
over  their  grog,  and  among  them  was  one  who  expressed  some 
doubt  about  the  ^performance.  The  landlord  saw  a  chance  to 
play  off  one  of  his  practical  jokes,  and  said, — 

'•'I'll  bet  a  quart  of  rum  that  I  can  do  that  trick."' 

"  I'll  take  that  bet  I"'  Avas  the  quick  response  of  the  wearer  of 
the  new  hat. 

"Done  I  then  give  us  your  hat,"  said  jMr.  W.,  taking  it  from 
the  wearers  head,  and  deliberately  breaking  several  eggs  into 
it. 

The  loafers  crowded  around  the  bar  to  see  the  performance. 

An  essential  part  of  the  2>erfonnance  was  the  use  of  high- 
sounding  gibberish,  which  Mr.  West  gave,  ending  with  the  words, 
"  Presto,  change  !"  meanwhile  shaking  the  hat. 

"  I  declare,  they  don't  sizzle  yet,"  he  said,  looking  into  the  hat, 
and  then  repeating  the  gibberish,  and  shaking  it  once  more,  till 
the  inside  was  well  splashed  with  the  yolk. 

"  They  don't  cook,  that's  a  fact.  I've  lost  my  bet.  Here,  take 
your  rum." 

A  roar  of  laughter  from  the  crowd  set  the  winner  to  thinking 
that  it  was  his  hat  which  the  landlord  had  been  using  for  a  fry- 
kettle.  The  landlord  had  his  joke,  but  he  was  not  a  man  to  in- 
dulge his  humor  at  the  pecuniary  expense  of  another,  and  made 
ample  satisfaction. 

Another  character  was  Mr.  David  Heath,  more  familiarly 
known  as  "Jester"  Heath,  from  his  jests  and  jokes.  If  the}^  were 
somewhat  coarse,  there  was  also  at  times  rare  humor  in  them. 
There  was  a  period  when  hoop-poles  w^ere  an  article  of  commerce, 
and  Mr.  Heath  was  not  always  particular  in  regard  to  boundaries 
when  engaged  in  cutting  poles. 

"  If  you  never  will  cut  any  more  on  my  land,  I  will  give  you  a 
pig,"  was  the  offer  of  Capt.  Little  Burbank. 


CHARACTERS.  653 

"  If  you  will  not  cut  any  more  on  mine,  I  will  give  you  a  sheep," 
said  Capt.  Abraham  Burbank. 

"  I  am  much  obliged  to  you,  gentleman,  but  a  man  can't  afford 
to  sell  everything,''  was  the  reply. 

Another  character  was  Mr.  Nathan  Hunt,  whose  natural 
endowments  were  by  no  means  of  an  inferior  order,  but  who  by 
indulging  in  drink  became  a  wreck  of  his  former  self,  and  earned 
a  precarious  living  by  making  baskets  and  bottoming  chairs.  He 
was  an  excellent  workman.  No  better  baskets  were  ever  made* 
They  were  strong,  evenly  woven,  and  of  symmetrical  form.  What- 
ever he  did  was  well  done,  though  his  customers,  especially  those 
who  had  paid  for  their  wares,  were  greatly  troubled  by  his  pro- 
crastination. He  had  a  keen  sense  of  humor.  During  sickness 
he  was  attended  by  Dr.  Long,  of  Hopkinton.  Those  were  the 
days  when  calomel  was  given  in  large  doses,  and  so  much  was  ad- 
ministered to  the  patient  that  his  teeth  were  loosened  in  the 
gums.  After  his  recovery  Mr.  Hunt  made  payment  in  hand- 
rakes.  One  may  imagine  the  inward  chuckling  of  the  rako- 
maker,  as  he  shaved  the  teeth  and  head  of  the  implements  from 
unseasoned  wood — how  in  a  few  days  the  teeth  would  loosen  and 
drop  from  their  sockets. 

The  rakes  were  speedily  finished  after  being  ordered.  The 
doctor  was  surprised  at  the  unwonted  promptness  of  the  maker. 
The  rakes  were  beautiful  to  the  eye,  smoothly  shaven  the  handles, 
tight  and  firm  the  teeth.     The  doctor  admired  them. 

A  few  days  passed.  The  workmen  used  the  implements  in  the 
summer  sun,  when,  lo  !  the  rakes  were  toothless. 

"  Every  tooth  has  come  out  of  those  rakes  which  you  made," 
said  the  irate  physician  to  Mr.  Hunt. 

"  Ah,  doctor,  you  have  been  giving  them  calomel,  I  reckon," 
said  Mr.  Hunt. 

The  physician  appreciated  the  joke,  and  told  it  with  a  relish. 

No  man  ever  walked  the  highways  of  Boscawen  who  had  so 
hearty  a  laugh  as  Mr.  Hunt.  When  anything  pleased  him  he 
laughed  all  over,  with  a  heartiness  that  was  contagious.  He  be- 
gan with  a  haw-haw-haw,  deep,  resonant,  to  be  written  large,  if 
expressed  in  writing,  accelerating  the  haw-haw,  catching  his 
breath,  beginning  over  again,  repeating,  changing  to  ho-ho-ho, 
for  several  minutes. 


654  CHARACTERS. 

Once  his  supper  was  hasty-pudding  and  milk,  and  he  ate 
heartily, — ate  till  the  platter  was  clean.  It  was  in  the  days  when 
fire-places  were  used,  and  he  laid  down  upon  the  floor  to  enjoy 
its  genial  warmth,  and  soon  fell  asleep.  Some  young  men,  who 
had  dropped  in,  thought  it  an  excellent  opportunity  to  play  a  joke 
upon  the  sleeper,  and,  creeping  up  stairs  and  raising  a  board,  they 
dropped  a  pumpkin  in  the  last  stage  of  mellowness  plump  upon 
the  prostrate  form.  They  were  roystering  fellows,  who  did  not 
stop  to  reflect  upon  the  indecency.  Mr.  Hunt  awoke,  and  in 
lugubrious  tones  thus  upbraided  his  wife  : 

"  There,  wife,  now  see  what  you  have  done.  What  did  you 
give  me  all  that  pudden  for  ?  You  might  have  known  I  would 
eat  it  all,  even  if  there  was  a  bushel  of  it.     Here  I  am,  busted T 

Another  character  was  Mr.  Obadiah  Elkins,  Avhose  oddity  may 
have  been  intensified  by  a  disappointment  of  the  affections.  He 
was  a  builder  of  many  houses.  They  were  not  spacious,  or  lofty, 
but  of  small  size.  He  would  obtain  permission  from  some  kind 
neighbor  to  put  up  a  cabin,  and  with  much  diligence  add  room 
after  room  at  all  sides.  When  weary  of  residing  in  that  locality 
he  would  dispose  of  them  for  a  small  sum,  and  begin  again  in 
another  place.     He  resided  chiefly  in  Bashan. 

Once  he  grew  weary  of  life,  and  resolved  to  commit  suicide.  He 
made  his  way  to  Pillsbury's  mill-pond,  and  plunged  in,  held  his 
head  beneath  the  water  awhile,  and  then  waded  to  the  shore.  In 
rehearsing  what  he  had  done,  he  said  he  "couldn't  hold  his  breath 
long  enough  to  drown."  He  did  not  see  the  absurdity  of  the  re- 
mark, and  even  wondered  at  the  laughter  it  created. 

Again,  when  sick,  he  wished  to  shufile  off  this  mortal  coil. 
"I  have  tried  to  die,"  he  said.  "If  I  were  to  die,  I  couldn't  try 
any  harder  !" 

While  prostrated  by  sickness,  Kev.  Mr.  Price  called  upon  him 
to  offer  the  consolations  of  religion,  praying  not  alone  for  the  sick 
man,  but  giving  wide  scope  to  his  supplication.  INIr.  Elkins  was 
restored  to  health,  and,  wishing  to  show  his  appreciation  of  Mr. 
Price's  kindness,  determined  to  make  him  a  present  of  a  half 
bushel  of  beans.  He  showed  a  grim  humor  by  obtaining  from  the 
neighbors  several  varieties,  white  and  speckled,  cranberry  and 
pink-eyed,  bush  and  pole,  large  and  small. 

"  I  notice,  Mr.  Elkins,  that  you  have  all  sorts  of  beans  in  your 


CHARACTERS.  655 

basket,"  was  the  remark  of  tlie  reverend  gentleman,  when  he 
thanked  the  donor  for  the  gift. 

"  Well,  sir,  you  prayed  all  sorts,  aiid  I  thought  I  would  give 
you  all  sorts,"  was  the  witty  reply.  The  humor  was  keenly  rel- 
ished by  the  recipient. 

Convinced  in  his  own  mind  that  he  was  not  going  to  live  long, 
he  resolved  to  have  his  coffin  made,  that  his  friends  might  not  be 
burdened  by  such  a  dut^',  and  carried  the  boards  to  a  joiner,  who, 
upon  measuring  them,  said  to  Mr.  Elkins : 

"  The  boards  are  not  long  enough." 

"  Oh  !  I  can  scrooch  up  a  little,"  was  the  reply. 

He  lived  in  the  days  when  men  drank  liquor.  He  usually 
drank  in  moileration,  but  when  his  brain  was  excited  Ijy  alcohol, 
there  was  a  delicious  incongruity  in  his  humor.  He  called  one 
day  at  the  house  of  Col.  John  Farmer,  where  the  good  wives  of 
the  neighborhood  had  assembled  for  a  quilting.  He  seated  him- 
self before  the  fire,  and  taking  a  clean  shirt  from  a  package,  pro- 
ceeded to  change  his  clothing,  whereupon  Mrs.  F.  told  him  that 
he  could  have  the  use  of  the  adjoining  room. 

''  Oh,  I  can  shut  my  eyes  !"  was  the  reply. 

Once,  when  having  been  refused  a  mug  of  cider  by  the  same 
lady,  he  politely  expressed  his  anger,  not  by  wishing  she  were 
dead,  but  wishing  that  she  were  "  nicely  in  heaven." 

His  house  and  the  grounds  around  were  ever  a  pattern  of  neat- 
ness. He  v/as  kind-hearted,  and  ever  ready  to  oblige  his  neigh- 
bors. Nature  was  not  niggardl^^  in  her  endowments,  but  a  bitter 
disappointment  blighted  his  life  and  made  him  what  he  was. 

Kind-hearted  men  were  they  all,  and  they  made  the  town 
merry  with  their  wit. 

One  of  Doctor  Elijah  Blaisdel's  female  patients  was  noted  for 
her  econoni}',  never  permitting  anything  to  be  wasted.  There  had 
been  sickness  in  the  family,  and  there  was  a  good  suj^ply  of  pills 
and  powders  on  hand,  after  the  recovery  of  the  children. 

"  It's  too  bad  to  have  them  wasted,"  said  the  mother,  who, 
mixing  jalop,  calomel,  ipecac,  all  in  one  mess,  swallowed  the 
mixture  !     The  results  may  be  imagined. 

Another  woman,  who  never  had  travelled,  but  who  contem- 
plated a  visit  to  distant  friends,  fearful  that  she  might  be  ill,  sat 
up  through  the  night,  and  drank  so  much  herb  tea  that  in  the 


656  V.    D.    M. TREES. 

morning  she  was  prostrated  with  sickness,  and  the  journey  never 
was  made. 

V.  D.  M. 

On  page  159,  mention  is  made  of  the  eulogy  upon  Washington, 
delivered  by  Rev.  Ariel  Kendrick,  v.  D.  M.,  with  the  statement 
that  none  of  the  oldest  inhabitants  knew  the  meaning  of  the  cab- 
alistic letters.  Since  the  page  has  been  printed,  it  has  been  as- 
certained that  they  stood  for  Veterinary  Doctor  of  Medicine ;  or, 
in  other  words,  that  Rev.  Mr.  Kendrick,  in  addition  to  his  calling 
as  a  preacher,  united  that  of  "  cow  doctor." 

TREES. 

The  first  trees  transplanted  in  Boscawen,  probably,  were  those 
set  out  by  Rev.  Phineas  Stevens,  none  of  which  remain  except 
possibly  the  tree  standing  near  the  residence  of  Jacob  Hosmer. 
One  of  those  set  out  by  Rev.  Mr.  S.  stood  in  front  of  the  hat-shop 
of  Mr.  Jacob  Ilosmer,  senior; — it  was  blown  down  in  1834. 

The  large  elm  opposite  the  academy  was  set  out  by  William 
Gill  about  1790  [see  Gill  Gen.,  p.  551]. 

The  elms  standing  on  the  west  side  of  King  street,  between  the 
residence  of  James  H.  Gill  and  Mr.  Bickford,  were  set  out  by 
Joel  French,  Wm.  G.  Emerson,  Col.  Joseph  and  N.  P.  Atkin- 
son, some  time  during  the  first  decade  of  the  century  [see  p.  5-32]. 

Those  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  south  of  the  meeting- 
house, were  set  out  by  Russell  Ambrose,  1834  [see  p.  232],  for 
which  he  received  the  thanks  of  tlie  Congregational  society. 

The  largest  elms  in  the  academy  yard  were  transplanted  in 
1829  by  David  K.  Jones,  a  student  at  the  academy.  He  went 
West,  and  died  in  Michigan.  The  maple  near  the  entrance  was 
set  out  by  Charles  C.  Coffin,  in  1839.  He  set  out  others,  but  that 
alone  survived,  owing  to  the  rude  treatment  to  which  all  were  sub- 
jected from  being  used  as  hitching-posts. 

The  first  damask  rose  in  town,  probably,  grew  on  a  bush 
brought  from  oSTewbury  (Byfield  parish),  Mass.,  by  Henry  Little, 
about  1815.  He  obtained  it  from  the  garden  of  Hon.  Gorham 
Parsons.  It  was  transplanted  in  Dea.  Enoch  Little's  front  yard, 
and  flourished  for  many  years. 

The  lilac   trees  standing  in  front  of  the   residence   of   H.   H. 


COLLEGIATE  AND  PROFESSIONAL  RECORD, 


66i 


Price,  Frederic,  grad.  Dart,  1838;  physician  in  Ohio  [see  Gen.]. 

RowELL,  Elijah,  physician  on  Corser  hill,  1816-1820. 

EoLFE,  Henuy  p.,  grad.  Dart.  1818;  attorney  in  Cdnoord  [see  Gen.]. 

Sawyer,  Samuel,  physician  mentioned  by  Rev.  Mr.  Price. 

Sawyer,  Ben.tamin,  physician  on  Corser  hill,  1810-1843. 

Severance,  M.  L.,  Rev.,  grad.  Middlebury ;  minister  Cong,  church, 
1861-1869,  now  at  Orwell,  Vt. 

Shepard,  Forrest,  Prof.,  grad.  Dart.,. 1827  [see  Biog.]. 

Sleeper,  Nehemiah,  Rev.,  minister  Christian  Union  church,  1835- 
1810  [see  Gen.]. 

Smith,  Ambrose,  Rev.,  grad.  Dart.  1815;  minister  Cong,  church, 
1853-1862  [see  Biog.]. 

Smith,  Justix  H.,  grad.  Dart.,  1877  [see  Gen.]. 

Stone,  Silas  C,  teacher;  master  Sherwin  school,  Boston   [see  Gen.]. 

Stone,  C.  J.  F.,  attorney  at  Plymouth;  died  18G0  [see  Gen.]. 

Stevens,  Phineas,  Rev.,  grad.  Harvard;  first  minister  in  Boscawen 
[see  Biog.]. 

Stevens,  Bradford  N.,  Hon.,  grad.  Dart.,  1835;  attorney  at  Prince- 
ton, 111.;  member  of  Congress. 

Tenney,  Jonathan,  grad.  Dart.,  1813;  teacher  Pembroke  Academy, 
1814-1819;  Pittsfield,  1850-1853;  Manchester,  1853-1856;  Elm- 
wood  Institute,  1856-1868  [p.  291]  ;  connected  with  N.  Y.  State 
Board  of  Education;  Librarian  of  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation at  Albany. 

Tilton,  John,  Rev.,  minister  Christian  Union  church. 

TiTCOMB,  G.  P.,  physician  in  Salisbury. 

Tracy,  Caleb  B.,  Rev.,  grad.  Williams;  minister  Cong,  church,  1837- 
1851  [see  Ecclesiastical  Hist.]. 

Tucker,  William  J.,  d.  d..  Rev.,  grad.  Dart.,  1861;  minister  Frank- 
lin St.  Cong,  church,  Manchester,  now  of  Madison  Square  Pres- 
byterian church.  New  York. 

Walker,  Silas  C,  grad.  Dart.,  1829;  attorney  in  Virginia,  INIississip- 
pi;  died  in  Arkansas,  1858. 

AVebster,  Daniel,  Hon.,  grad.  Dart.,  1801;  attorney  [see  Biog.]. 

Webster,  Ezekiel,  Hon.,  grad.  Dart.,  1804;  attorney  [see  Biog.]. 

Webster,  Eliphalet  K.,  physician  [see  Biog.]. 

Wells,  Thomas,  physician  on  the  Plain,  1795-1800;  moved  to  IIop- 
kinton. 

Whitman,  Z.  G.,  grad.  Harvard;  attorney  on  Corser  hill,  1831-1810. 

Wilson,  Job,  physician;  resided  on  Water  st.,  afterwards  in  Franklin. 

Wood,  Samuel,  Rev.,  grad.  Dart.,  1779;  minister  in  Boscawen  [see 
Biog.]. 


662  ministers'  wives. 

MINISTERS'  WIVES. 

In  addition  ta  those  citizens  of  Boscawen  and  Webster  who 
liave  entered  the  ministry,  are  the  Avomen  whose  names  are  here 
given,  who  have  married  ministers,  and  have  thus  been  influential 
in  moulding  society : 

Bridgp:,  Emily,  dau.  Samuel,  of  Billerica,  Mass.;  resides  in  B.  ;  m. 
Rev.  Henry  Jewett,  Cong,  minister  in  Maine. 

CoGSWKLL,  Ruth,  dau.  Nehemiah,  sen.;  m.  Rev.  Samuel  W.  Colburn 
[see  Professional  Record]. 

Dix,  Raciikl  B.,  dau.  Col.  Timothy;  m.  Rev.  Daniel  Temple,  of  Read- 
ing, Mass. ;  missionary  to  Malta  [see  Gen.]. 

Dix,  Louisa  Frances,  dau.  Col.  Timothy;  m.  Rev.  Edward  Buxton, 
of  B.  [see  Gen.]. 

Greenougit,  Ellen,  dau.  John;  m.  Rev.  D.  R.  Brewer,  minister 
Episcopal  church. 

Geruisii,  Sally,  dau.  of  Dea.  Enoch  ;  ra.  Rev.  Samuel  Bliss  [see  Gen.]. 

Gerrisii,  Sally,  dau.  of  Col.  Joseph;  m.  Rev.  Enoch  Corser  [see  Ger- 
rish  and  Corser  Gen.]. 

Gerrish,  Mary,  dau.  Col.  Joseph;  m.  Rev.  Wm.  Patrick,  of  Canter- 
bury [see  Gen.]. 

Gerrish,  Apphia,  dau.  Jacob;  m.  Rev.  Phannuel  Warriner,  ofCanan- 
daigua,  N.  Y. ;  resides  in  Texas  [see  Gen.]. 

Knight,  Catharine,  dau.  of  Caleb;  m.  Rev.  Nathaniel  Barker,  Cong, 
minister  at  Wakefield  for  many  years. 

Little,  Ruoda,  dau.  Benjamin  ;  m.  Rev.  Calvin  Cutter,  Presbyterian 
minister  at  Windham.  Her  eldest  son.  Rev.  Charles,  is  Cong, 
minister  in  Oliio  ;  her  second  son,  Rev.  Carrol,  is  president  West- 
ern Reserve  College,  Ohio  [see  Gen.]. 

Little,  Jane,  dau.  of  Joseph;  m.  Rev.  Amos  P.  Brown,  of  Campton, 
home  missionary  for  many  years  in  111.  [see  Gen.]. 

Little,  Emma,  dau.  Jesse;  m.  Rev.  Addison  Kingsbury,  of  Putnam, 
O.  [see  Gen.]. 

Patrick,  Mary,  dau.  of  John,  and  great-granddaughter  of  Col.  Jo- 
seph Gerrish,  is  missionary  to  Turkey,  residence  at  Constanti- 
nople. 

Price,  Mary  P.,  dau.  Rev.  Ebenezer;  m.  Rev.  Addison  Kingsbury,  of 
Putnam,  O. 

Price,  Emily  P.,  dau.  Rev.  Ebenezer;  m.  Rev.  Z.  K.  Hawley,  Cong, 
minister  of  Conn.;  resides  in  Memphis,  Tenn. 

Plummer,  Lucretia  a.,  dau.  Capt.  Joshua  C;  m.  Rev.  Charles  Tem- 
ple. 


ministers'  wives.  663 

SwEATT,  Flora,  dau.  Isaac  T. ;  lu.  Rev.  H.  Ilartwell,  minister  Meth- 
odist church. 

SwEATT,  Emily,  dau.  Isaac  T. ;  m.  Rev.  Greenleaf  Warner,  minister 
Methodist  church. 

SwEATT,  Arietta,  dau.  George;  m.  Rev.  G.  "W.  Smitli,  minister 
Methodist  church. 

Webster,  Alice,  dau.  Hon.  Ezekiel;  m.,  1st,  Rev.  Jarvis  Gregg,  pro- 
fessor at  Western  Reserve  college,  O. ;  2d,  Rev.  Geo.  B.  Whip- 
ple, of  Oberlin. 

Webster,  Mary  Ann,  dan.  lion.  Ezekiel;  m.  Prof.  Edwin  D.  San- 
born, of  Dartmouth  college. 

Webster,  Ann  R.,  dau.  Nathaniel;  m.  Rev.  Horace  Eaton,  d.  d.,  min- 
ister at  Palmyra,  N.  Y. 

Worcester,  Betsey,  niece  of  Rev.  Samuel  Wood;  m.  Rev.  Stephen 
Bliss,  Cong,  -ninister. 


GEJ^EEAL    I:NDEX. 


Aciuleruy,  Boscaweu  200,  291. 

Penacook,  292. 
Admiral  Boscawen,  79,  81,  84. 
Ainsworth's  Psalms.  293. 
Alcoholic  liquors'  210. 
Abus-house,  town,  190. 

county,  222. 
Ames.  Simeon,  arrest  of,  G2. 
Ancient  houses,  049. 
Auti-slavery,  200,  201,  206,  207. 
Apprentices,  54. 
Association,  ministerial,  228. 
Association  test,  114,  115. 

Battle  of  Lexington,  247. 
Baptisms,  240. 
Baptist  society,  205. 

"      church,  24.3. 
Bashan  iSIining  Co.,  179. 
Bay  State  Psalm  Book,  293. 
Bennington  campaign,  253. 

"     ""        battle,  257. 

soldiers,  255,  265. 

"  anniversary,  225. 

Bennet,  Salmon,  Picv.,  232,  2.35. 
Bishop,  Josiah,  killed  by  Indians,  39. 

"      Enos,  captured  by  Indians,  69,  7C. 
Biographical  history,  301. 
Boscawen,  how  spelled,  83. 
Boston,  Fort  hill,  105. 
Boscawen  Musical  Society,  296. 
Bonds,  taxation  of,  223. 

"     sale  of,  224. 
Bounties  for  soldiers,  223. 
Bridges— Boscawen,  198,  64G. 

Blackwater,  104,  105,  128,  131. 

"  Canterbury,  165,  166,  198,  645. 

"  Cliandler's.  046. 

"  Clay  hill,  131. 

"  Contoocook,  21,  92,  160, 1S9,  647. 

Brown,  John,  journal,  11. 
Buxton,  Edward,  Rev.,  239,  323. 
Bunker  hill  s(ddiers,  248. 
Burial  grounds,  180,  223. 

Cambridge  platform,  233. 

Campaign  of  1777,  2.52. 

Call,  Pliilip.  Mrs.,  killed  by  Indians,  C9. 

California  emigr.ation,210. 

Cassar  killed  by  Indians,  41. 

Canterbury  garrison,  40. 

Central  Musical  Society,  298. 

Celebration  at  Newbury,  79. 


Centennial  celebration,  215. 

Characters,  650. 

Check-list,  181. 

Churcli  and  state,  152,  ICl. 

Cliurch  difficulties,  241. 

Churches  in  New  Hampshire,  216. 

Christian  Baptist  cliurch,  242. 

"  Union  society,  188,  191,  206,  240, 

242. 
Clocks,  643. 

Clough,  Abner,  journal,  43,  45. 
Clougli,  Jeremiali,  40,  78. 
Collegi.ate  record,  657. 
Coos  soldiers,  253. 
Coos,  road  to,  55. 
Cold  Friday,  178. 
Colonial  jurisdiction,  33,  35. 
Constitution  of  N.  H.,  143,  221,  224. 
Cook,  Thomas,  killed  bj'  Indians,  41. 
County  almshouse,  222. 
Coffin,  Peter,  Capt.,  Ill,  113. 
Correspondence  between  Gov.  Wentworth 

and  (iov.  Shirley,  67,  62. 
Committee  of  Safety,  112. 
Commercial  distress,  202. 
Corser  hill  meeting-house,  236. 
Continental  soldiers,  267. 
Congregational  church  in  Fisherville,  243. 
Congregationalism,  return  to,  235. 
Cut  nails,  642. 

Currency,  55,  101,117,  119,  129,  132,  156. 
Customs,  174,  194,  195. 
Crows,  197. 

Dartmouth  college,  227. 

"  "        road  to,  131. 

Day-book  of  Dea.  Enoch  Little,  184. 
Debt,  funding  of,  213. 
Destitution,  184. 
Diary  of  Col.  Henry  Gerrish,  247. 

"        Lieut.  John  Flanders,  250. 

"        Capt.  Peter  Kimb.all,  253,  261. 
Disturbance  in  town-meeting,  168. 
Division  of  the  town,  619. 
Dollars,  first  use  of  the  word,  100. 
Duston,  Mrs.,  5. 
Duston  I'li-morial,  648. 
Dutch  ovens,  176. 

Eastabrook,  Samuel,  Rev.,  118. 
Early  singing,  294. 
Ecclesiastical  history,  226. 
Educational  history,  279. 


GENERAL    INDEX. 


665 


Ela,  Samuel,  Rev.,  113. 

Elmvvood  Institute,  291. 

Elevations,  635. 

Endicott,  Gov.,  5. 

Expedition  to  Upper  Connecticut,  63. 

Federal  soldiers,  20S. 

"      constitution,  1.34, 135. 
Festivities,  141. 
Felt  liats,  642. 
Ferry,  '22. 
First  law-suit,  92. 

"     settlers,  1.5. 

"    minister,  22. 

"     town-meeting,  83. 

"    election  under  tlie  constitution,  135. 

"    military  company,  37. 

"    saw-mill,  17,  21. 

"    ciiild,  18. 
Fire  precinct.  209. 

"     engine,  207. 
Foxes,  197. 
Fort,  20,  52. 
French  war,  51,  76,  79. 
Framed  houses,  85. 
Freshets,  191,  192,  198. 

Gates,  Horatio,  thanks  to  Koscawen  sol- 
diers, 266. 
Gentlemen's  farms,  10. 
Golfe,  John,  41.  72. 
Going  to  meeting,  174. 
Grant  to  Contoocook,  3. 
Grafton  Presbytery,  lOS,  234. 
Grist-mill  in  Concord,  48. 
Grist-mills  in  Boscaweu,  638. 
Gunpowder,  132. 

Hay-scales,  177. 
Hearse  horses,  193. 
Health,  636. 

Highway  obstructions,  2'1. 
History  of  the  town,  214.  224,  225. 
Honorable  action  of  proprietors,  52. 
Household  furniture,  73,  176. 
Hudson  River  campaign,  251. 

Illegal  voting,  211. 

Implements,  1;4. 

Industries,  637. 

Insurance  company,  208. 

Indians,  37,  39,  40,  41,42,53,63,64,65,68, 

69,  70,  71,  75,  78. 
Iron  axles,  184. 

Jackman,  Mases,  captured  by  Indians,  78. 
Justice  of  the  peace,  94. 

Kearsarge  mountain,  44. 

Lexington,  battle  of,  111,  115. 

Legacy  of  Rev.  Samuel  Wood,  232. 

Line  between  Boscawen  and  Cauterburv, 

209. 
Line  between  Boscaweu  and  Concord,  198. 

"        "        Mass.  and  X.  H.,  34. 
Library,  144. 
Licenses,  143, 193. 
Lien  of  mechanics,  209. 
Lots,  12,  14,  23,  24,  88. 
Lords  proprietors,  49,  120. 
Lumber,  210,  637. 

Martin  Luther  Musical  Society,  298. 
Manufacturers,  132,  644. 


Map  for  schools,  210. 
Merrimack  valley  settlements,  19. 

hall,  2.33. 
Merrill,  Nathaniel,  Rev.,  97,  99,  100,  101, 

102,  104,  lOf^,  234. 
;Meloon  family  captured,  63,  65,  66,  67. 
Methodist  church,  243. 

Meeting-houses,  23,  25,  98,  101,  105,  119, 129, 
131,  136,  137,  13i>,  140,  141,  153,  157,  187, 
188,  200,  226. 
Military  history,  245. 

"        spirit,  170. 

"        prej)arations,  263. 

"        receipts,  252,  266. 

"        campaigns,  269,  270,  271,  272,  273, 
>lills,  17,  21,  224,  225,  638. 
Ministers,  657. 
Minister's  lot,  75. 

"  patriotism,  228. 

"  oaths,  227. 

"  wives,  662. 

Miscellany,  619. 
Money,  scarcity  of,  132. 
Mother  Hoit,  176. 
Moral  society,  182. 
Morrill,  Robie,  Rev.,  84,  86,  87,  88,  91,  93, 

94,  96, 113. 
Musters,  lb2,  193,  273,  274,  275. 
Musical  societies,  196. 

•'       education,  293. 

"       instruments,  296. 

Newspapers,  177. 

New  style,  f  5. 

New  lights,  233. 

New  county,  134,  188, 189. 

New  York  "campaign,  251. 

Norway  plain,  212. 

Notices  of  tirst  settlers,  302. 

Occupations,  173,  174, 175. 

Ordination  of  Rev.  Phineas  Stevens,  29,30, 

31,  32. 
Overhauling  a  committee,  131. 
Official  history,  619. 

Palm-leaf  liats,  641. 

Patriotic  action,  117,  219,  220. 

Parsonage  lands,  sale  of,  143. 

I'ains,  88. 

Paper  rags,  120. 

Party  spirit,  174,  202,  203. 

Paupers,  105,  162.  178. 

Peuacook  academy,  292. 

I'enalties,  312 

People's  declaration,  106,  107. 

Petitions  of  citizens  of  Andover  and  other 

towns,  1. 
Petition  of  citizens  of  Newbury,  3. 
Petitions  of  citizens  of  Contoocook,  23,  37, 

38,  47,  48,  64,  74,  94,  97. 
Petition  for  a  new  town,  137. 
Physicians,  108. 

Plunder,  sale  at  Battenkill,  265. 
Pound,  149. 
Post  routes,  143,  200. 
Pottery,  642. 
Polls,  100. 

Population,  24,  99,  112,  128, 133,  191,  635. 
Progress,  172. 
Professional  record,  661. 
Prisoners,  liberation  of,  59. 
Produce,  prices  of,  1.55. 
Province  road,  103 
Price,  Ebenezer,  Rev.,  187,  236. 


666 


GENERAL    IXDEX. 


rroprietors'  records,  208. 
^^c3Po<f*?f  .1,"*^!-'"^*'  3'  8'  ">  16, 17,  20,  20, 
150     '      '      '  ''''  ^^'  ^"'  ^^>  ^3'  '5'  ' ''  8". 
Proprietors'  clerk,  84. 
Preaching  at  tbe  West  eiul,  118. 

Quebec  expedition,  249. 

Raising  tlie  meeting-house,  1 18 

Railroads,  207,  208,  211. 

Record  of  mortality,  C3G. 

Revivals,  1^2. 

Receipt  for  gun,  249. 

Rebellion,  212,  213.  217,  219. 

Religious  society  records,  230. 
"         controversy,  174. 
"  dissent,  50,  51,  77. 

Reduction  of  Canada,  85. 
Rhode  Island  campaign,  207 
Roll  of  honor  at  IJuiiker  hill,  249 
Road  to  Hopkinton,  lyo. 

Saw-mills  on  the  Blackwater,  119 

Sabatis  and  Plansawa,  63,  50,  57 

^ale  of  almshouse,  214. 

Scouting  party,  03. 

Selectmen's  accounts,  87,  88,  81,  93  94    ins 

118,  119,  120,  121.  122,  123,  148,  170.     '    ° 
Settlements,  85,  90. 
Seraphines,  2dd. 
Second  Cong,  church,  238,  239 
Schools,  86.  92,  97,  104,  108,   109,  lio    in 

116,118.124,  128,  129,  135',  148;  IL;'  167; 

School  lots,  1.35. 
"    law,  169. 
Shay's  rebellion,  1,33. 
Sheep,  180,  VJ3. 
Singing-schools,  299,  ,390. 
Soldiers  in  Indian  wars,  244,  245. 

'■       in  Revolution,  247,'  249"  ''5]    •'-■jq 

255,   263,  207.  '         ' 

Soldiers  in  war  with  Great  Rritain   "69 
''        I'l  the  Rebellion,  270,  277,278  " 
Smith,  Ambrose.  Rev.,  235 
Small  pox,  218.  160. 
Spinning,  637. 
Stages,  178. 
State  capital,  163. 

"     bounties,  222. 

"    police,  223. 


Stevens,  Phiueas,  Rev.,  22,  28  7'> 
Stores,  148.  '      >    °,  '- 

Suits  to  recover  taxes,  151. 
Surplus  revenue,  197,  201. 
Survey  of  Contoocook,  8. 
Sunday  travelling,  100. 

"      schools,  183,  244. 
Swine,  LSI,  192. 

Tanniug,  643. 

Taxation,  exemption  from   '>'>4 
Taverns,  149,  150,  165,  193. 
Teachers'  iiistitnte,  222. 
Temperance,  194,  195,  196 
Theology,  125. 
Ticonderoga  soldiers,  251. 
Town  charter,  74,  76,  70. 
"      corn, 108. 
"      census,  128. 
"      house,  21,  201,  200,  209. 
"      farm,  190,  197. 
"      seal,  192. 
"      officers,  622 
Transition  period,  150 
Trespass,  156. 
Trees,  232,  656. 
Travelling  on  Sunday,  1S3. 
Trouble  with  England,  149. 
Turnpikes,  1G2. 
Tract  distribution,  229. 

Universalist  society,  161,  197. 

Vagrants,  197,  202. 

Vermont  Committee  of  Safety,  254 

^  oluiiteers,  212,  213. 

Washington,  death  of,  158. 

„-    '     .„     -,    I5enevolent  Society,  181. 

\Var  with  Great  Britain,  IM,  -icy. 

War  of  Kebellion.  276. 

Warning  out,  90,  1.30. 

Westerly  Reliu'ious  society,  166,  236. 

Webster,  Kzvkicl,  death  of,  193. 

"  .liiIiM,  (  aptnin,  71. 

I'  incor|>orati..n  of,  217. 

^1  lirst  tdwn-meeting  in,  219. 

wi  •      ■      '^'f"'"'"''"*  with  Boscawen,  219. 

Wlupping-posts,  170. 

Wild  animals,  6.50. 

A\'ood,  Samuel,  Rev.,  123,  125,  144  161 


LE0^;4 


£    90?